Cookie Policy

COOKIE POLICY

1. INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS

When you visit Traze.com, we utilize cookies to differentiate you from other users of our Website, both in South Africa, in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and certain parts of the European Union, as mandated by the relevant regulations. These cookies play a crucial role in enhancing your browsing experience, ensuring that the Website caters to your specific needs and preferences.

In the European Union, websites are required to obtain your consent before using or storing cookies on your computer or mobile device. As a responsible organization, we adhere to these regulations and are committed to providing you with transparent information about the cookies we use and how we use them. This Cookie Policy is designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of our cookie practices.

The cookies we employ help us customize the Website’s content, making it more relevant and effective for you during your browsing sessions. They enable us to present websites that align with your interests and improve the overall functionality of the site.

For further insights into how we handle your personal information, please review our Privacy Policy in conjunction with this Cookie Policy. We value your privacy and strive to ensure that your data is handled securely and in compliance with the applicable data protection laws, including POPIA in South Africa and the relevant regulations in the European Union.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding our use of cookies or the protection of your personal information, we encourage you to reach out to us using the contact details provided in our Privacy Policy. Your trust is of utmost importance to us, and we are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of data protection and user experience on Traze.com.

2. PURPOSE

The purpose of a cookie policy in respect to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) in South Africa is to inform users about the use of cookies on a website and to ensure compliance with data protection regulations. The key objectives of a cookie policy under POPIA are:

2.1 Transparency: A cookie policy is intended to provide transparent and clear information to users about the types of cookies used on the website, the purposes for which cookies are employed, and how the collected data will be processed.

2.2Informed Consent: POPIA emphasizes the importance of obtaining informed consent from users before collecting and processing their personal information, which includes data obtained through cookies. The cookie policy should explain how users can give their consent or manage their cookie preferences.

2.3User Rights: The cookie policy should inform users about their rights regarding their personal information, such as the right to access, correct, and delete their data collected through cookies. It should also explain how users can exercise these rights.

2.4 Data Security: The policy should outline the security measures in place to protect the data collected through cookies from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse, as required by POPIA.

2.5Data Retention: The policy should specify the duration for which the collected data will be retained and the criteria used to determine this period, ensuring compliance with POPIA’s data retention principles.

2.6Third-Party Sharing: If cookies involve sharing data with third-party entities, the policy should disclose this information and clarify how user data is protected in such situations.

3. APPLICATION

The application of a cookie policy involves implementing and communicating the policy to users, website visitors, and relevant stakeholders. Here’s a comprehensive outline of the application of a cookie policy:

3.1 Policy Availability: Ensure that the cookie policy is prominently displayed and easily accessible on the website. It should be linked in the website’s footer, navigation menu, or any other visible location.

3.2 Clear Language: Use clear and straightforward language in the policy to make it easily understandable for all users, regardless of their level of technical expertise.

3.3 Cookie Consent Banner: Implement a cookie consent banner or pop-up that informs users about the use of cookies on the website and prompts them to give their consent or manage their preferences.

3.4 Consent Mechanism: Provide an effective and user-friendly mechanism for users to give their consent to the use of cookies. Ensure that users have the option to accept or decline cookies, and that cookie usage is not enabled until valid consent is obtained.

3.5 Cookie Settings: Offer a cookie settings or preferences page where users can manage their cookie choices at any time. This page should allow users to modify their preferences and update their consent status easily.

3.6Cookie Categories: Categorize cookies based on their functionality and purpose, such as essential, analytics, advertising, and third-party cookies. Explain the specific purpose of each category.

3.7 Third-Party Cookies: Clearly disclose if third-party cookies are used on the website and provide information about the third-party entities involved. Specify that you do not have access to or control over these cookies.

3.8Cookie Expiry: Indicate the expiry period for each cookie, explaining how long the data collected through cookies will be retained.

3.9 Data Protection and Security: Reiterate your commitment to protecting user data collected through cookies, explaining the security measures in place to safeguard it.

3.10 Updates and Changes: Commit to updating the cookie policy as needed and notify users of any significant changes or updates.

3.11Legal Compliance: Ensure that the cookie policy complies with relevant data protection laws, such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) in South Africa, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, and any other applicable regulations.

3.12 Education and Awareness: Educate employees and stakeholders involved in website management about the cookie policy and the importance of complying with it.

3.13 Consistent Communication: Maintain consistent communication with users regarding their cookie preferences, and honor their choices at all times.

4. WHAT IS A COOKIE?

Cookies are small files of information, which often include a unique identification number or value, which are stored on your computer’s hard drive as a result of you using our Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies as soon as you visit our Website.

Cookies are frequently used on many websites on the internet and you can choose if and how a cookie will be accepted by changing your preferences and options in your browser. Some of our business partners (e.g. advertisers) use cookies on our Website(s). We have no access to, or control over, these cookies.

The cookies do not contain personally identifying information nor are they used to identify you. You may choose to disable the cookies. However, you may not be able to access some parts of our Website if you choose to disable the cookie acceptance in your browser, particularly the secure parts of the Website.

5. HOW TO DELETE AND BLOCK COOKIES

You have the option to either accept or decline cookies. While most web browsers automatically accept cookies, you can typically adjust your browser settings to decline them if you prefer. However, please be aware that by choosing to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully utilize all the features and benefits of the website.

For additional details on how to disable cookies, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org. This external resource can provide you with more comprehensive information about managing your cookie preferences.

6. YOUR CONSENT

To access essential functions on our website, your affirmative consent is required for the use of cookies and similar technologies. If you choose not to accept cookies while using this website, kindly discontinue its usage. The acceptance of cookies is vital to ensure a seamless and enhanced user experience with the necessary functionalities.

7. THE WAY IN WHICH WE USE COOKIES:

7.1 SessionCookies

Session cookies play an essential role in enhancing your browsing experience on our website. We use these cookies for the following purposes:

7.1.1 Continuity: Session cookies enable you to carry information seamlessly across different pages of our site, eliminating the need to re-enter the same data repeatedly. This ensures a smooth and efficient browsing experience.

7.1.2 Registration Convenience: Within the registration process, session cookies are employed to grant you access to your stored information. This makes it easier for you to interact with our website without the hassle of repeatedly providing the same details.

7.1.3 Non-Personal Data Tagging: We also utilize session cookies to track non- personal data through random number tagging. This tagging helps us categorize and analyze user interactions with our website, allowing us to improve and optimize its performance.

7.2 Persistent Cookies

We employ persistent cookies on our website for various valuable purposes, allowing us to enhance your overall browsing experience. Here are the specific uses of these cookies:

7.2.1 Personalized Content and Advertisements: Persistent cookies help us recognize you as a unique visitor (identified by a numerical identifier) when you revisit our website. This recognition enables us to tailor the content and advertisements displayed on the site to align with your preferred interests. By avoiding repetitive display of the same adverts, we aim to provide a more personalized and relevant experience.

7.2.2 Anonymous Aggregated Statistics: These cookies aid in gathering anonymous and aggregated statistics about user interactions with our website. By analyzing this data, we gain insights into how users utilize our site. This information is instrumental in improving the overall structure and usability of the website, ensuring it caters better to the needs of our visitors.

7.2.3 Internal Identification: Persistent cookies are used for internal identification purposes, including associating your account name, name, email address, customer ID, currency, and geographic location (based on computer ID/IP address). This identification helps streamline your interactions with our website and enables us to offer you a personalized and efficient service.

7.2.4 Network Differentiation: We utilize persistent cookies to differentiate users who are on the same network. This differentiation allows us to accurately allocate transactions and other activities to the appropriate user account, ensuring proper record-keeping and service delivery.

7.2.5 Research Survey Management: Within research surveys, persistent cookies are employed to prevent you from being repeatedly invited to complete a questionnaire. These cookies help us avoid unnecessary disruptions and ensure that you are not invited to participate in surveys you have already completed.

7.3 Third Party Cookies

Our website allows third parties to serve cookies for various purposes, contributing to the overall functionality and user experience. These third-party cookies are used in the following ways:

7.3.1 Advertisement Serving and Click Tracking: Third-party cookies serve advertisements on our site and track user interactions, including clicks on these advertisements. This information helps us and our advertising partners understand the effectiveness of ad campaigns and the level of engagement they generate.

7.3.2 Advertisement Frequency Control: These cookies enable us to manage and control how often you are shown a specific advertisement. By ensuring a balanced and optimized ad frequency, we aim to provide you with a pleasant browsing experience.

7.3.3 Content Personalization: Third-party cookies assist in tailoring content to match your preferences. By analysing your interactions with our site and other online activities, these cookies help us present content that aligns with your interests, enhancing your overall engagement.

7.3.4 Anonymous User Counting: The third-party cookies are also utilized to count the number of anonymous users visiting our site. This information aids us in understanding the overall traffic and engagement levels on the website.

7.3.5 Website Usage Analysis: We leverage third-party cookies for website usage analysis. This analysis provides valuable insights into user behavior, such as popular pages, click-through rates, and time spent on the site. These insights are crucial in optimizing our website’s performance and user experience.

8. USE OF WEB BEACONS

Certain web pages on our website may include electronic images called web beacons (also known as clear gifs), which serve the purpose of counting users who visit those pages. These web beacons gather limited information, such as a cookie number, the time and date of a page view, and a description of the page where the web beacon is located. Additionally, third-party advertisers may also place web beacons on our website. These beacons are utilized solely to track the effectiveness of specific advertising campaigns and do not collect any personally identifiable information. Rest assured, the use of web beacons is solely for analytical purposes and does not compromise your privacy.

HOW TO CONTACT US

If you have any questions regarding this Policy, or have a complaint, or if you have any questions about security on our Website, you may email us at cs@traze.com or support.sa@traze.com