Cookie Policy (Updated 2025)
Status: Ready for publication
Version: 2.0
Effective Date: TBC (upon portal launch)
Replaces: Cookie Policy (November 2024)
Readability Score: 16.8 (estimated Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level)
Target Audience: Professional (schools, trusts, educational institutions)
Plain Language Version: Planned for Phase 2 (Grade 10-12 for general public)
Cookie Policy
This Cookie Policy explains how Tru-Digital Services Ltd uses cookies and similar technologies on our website (trudigital.co.uk) and customer portal. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
Last updated: [Date]
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the site:
- Remember your preferences and settings
- Improve security and performance
- Understand how visitors use the site
- Deliver relevant content
Similar Technologies
We also use similar technologies that serve comparable purposes:
- Local storage — stores data in your browser (like cookies, but with more capacity)
- Session storage — temporary storage that clears when you close your browser
- Pixels and tags — tiny images that track page visits and email opens
- SDKs — software development kits integrated into our portal
For simplicity, we refer to all these as "cookies" in this policy.
How We Use Cookies
We use cookies to:
Operate our website and portal (strictly necessary)
- Enable core functionality, security, and session management
Analyse usage and improve content (analytics)
- Understand how you interact with our services so we can make improvements
Remember your preferences (functional)
- Save your settings, language choices, and consent decisions
Measure communications (advertising, with consent)
- Track the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
Legal Basis for Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies:
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR)
Purpose: Essential for site operation and security
No consent required (but you can block them via browser settings)
Analytics, functional, and advertising cookies:
Legal basis: Consent (PECR Regulation 6)
Purpose: Optional enhancements and measurement
Set only if you opt in via our cookie banner or preferences
Categories of Cookies
1. Strictly Necessary Cookies
Purpose:
Essential for the website and portal to function. Without these, core features won't work.
What they do:
- Manage your login session
- Remember items in your basket (if applicable)
- Enable security features (CSRF protection, authentication tokens)
- Route traffic efficiently (load balancing)
- Detect and prevent fraud
Examples:
session_id— maintains your logged-in sessioncsrf_token— prevents cross-site request forgery attacksload_balancer— routes you to the correct server
Duration: Session cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or up to 1 year
Note: You cannot opt out of strictly necessary cookies without affecting site functionality. However, you can block them using browser settings (see "Managing Your Choices" below).
2. Analytics Cookies
Purpose:
Help us understand how visitors use our site so we can improve content, layout, and performance.
What they do:
- Count page views and track navigation paths
- Measure time spent on pages
- Identify popular content and Help Centre articles
- Track error rates and performance issues
- Understand geographic distribution of visitors
Examples:
_ga(Google Analytics 4) — distinguishes unique users_ga_*(Google Analytics 4) — session and campaign data- Sentry error tracking tokens
Data collected:
- Aggregated usage statistics (anonymised)
- Browser and device information
- Referral sources (where you came from)
- Click and scroll behaviour
Duration: Up to 2 years
Third parties: Google Analytics 4 (data stored in EU servers where possible)
Opt out: You can opt out via:
- Our cookie banner (functional for 12 months)
- Browser settings
- Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
3. Functional Cookies
Purpose:
Remember your preferences to enhance your experience.
What they do:
- Save your cookie consent choices
- Remember language and region preferences
- Store UI customisation (e.g., sidebar collapsed/expanded)
- Save portal view preferences (table layouts, filters)
Examples:
cookie_consent— stores your cookie preferencesportal_preferences— remembers your portal settingstimezone— displays dates/times in your timezone
Duration: Up to 12 months
Opt out: You can change preferences via the cookie banner link in the footer.
4. Advertising and Marketing Cookies
Purpose:
Measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and, where enabled, deliver relevant content.
What they do:
- Track campaign performance (e.g., newsletter click-through rates)
- Measure conversion from marketing activities
- Prevent duplicate ads
- Provide attribution data
Examples:
utm_source— tracks campaign sourcereferral_id— links visits to marketing materials
Duration: Up to 90 days
Note: We do not use third-party advertising networks or retargeting. Marketing cookies only measure our own campaigns.
Opt out: Opt out via our cookie banner or by not clicking marketing links.
Managing Your Choices
Cookie Banner
When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie banner with options to:
- Accept all — enables all cookie categories
- Reject non-essential — only strictly necessary cookies
- Manage preferences — choose specific categories
You can change your choices at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in the site footer.
Your choice is saved for 12 months or until you clear your browser data.
Browser Controls
You can also block or delete cookies using your browser settings:
Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies
Note: Blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent you from logging into the portal or accessing certain features.
Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies are set by third-party services we use:
Google Analytics 4
Purpose: Website and portal usage analytics
Data location: EU (where possible), US (Data Privacy Framework certified)
Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Opt out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Notion (Embedded Workspaces)
Purpose: Collaboration features in shared customer workspaces
Data location: US (Data Privacy Framework certified)
Privacy policy: https://www.notion.so/privacy
Stripe (Payment Processing)
Purpose: Secure subscription billing
Data location: EU and US (adequacy framework)
Privacy policy: https://stripe.com/gb/privacy
International Transfers
Some of our service providers (e.g., Google Analytics, Notion) may store cookie data outside the UK/EEA. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards:
- EU-US Data Privacy Framework adequacy
- UK International Data Transfer Agreements (UK IDTA)
- Standard Contractual Clauses
See our Privacy Policy for more information on international transfers.
Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect:
- Changes in cookie usage or technologies
- New service providers
- Legal or regulatory requirements
The "Last updated" date at the top indicates the current version. Material changes will be notified via:
- Updated cookie banner
- Email to registered portal users
- Notice on our website
Questions?
If you have questions about our use of cookies, contact our Data Protection Officer:
Email: dpo@trudigital.co.uk
Post: DPO, Tru-Digital Services Ltd, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE