This Cookies Policy explains what these technologies are, why we use them, the choices available to you and how you can manage your preferences.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small files or pieces of information that may be stored on your computer, smartphone, tablet or other device when you visit a website.

They can help websites recognise a browser or device, remember selections, maintain secure sessions and provide information about how a website is being used.

References to cookies in this policy also include similar storage and access technologies where appropriate, such as local storage, tracking pixels, tags and scripts.

2. Why ECDL Digital Uses Cookies

ECDL Digital may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep our website and learner services secure.
• Allow important website features to operate correctly.
• Remember selections and preferences.
• Maintain sessions and account logins.
• Support shopping basket and checkout functionality.
• Understand how visitors navigate and use our website.
• Identify technical issues and improve website performance.
• Measure the effectiveness of our services and website content.
• Remember your cookie preferences.
• Deliver or measure advertising and promotional activity where you have provided the required consent.

We only use these technologies in accordance with applicable UK privacy and electronic communications requirements.

3. Strictly Necessary Cookies

Some cookies are required for the website or a service requested by you to function correctly.

These may include cookies used for:

• Website security and fraud prevention.
• Authentication and account login.
• Session management.
• Shopping baskets and checkout.
• Payment-related functionality.
• Remembering your cookie choices.
• Maintaining important technical website functionality.

Where a cookie or similar technology is strictly necessary to provide a service you have requested, we may use it without asking for consent.

You cannot normally disable strictly necessary cookies through our cookie preference tool because doing so may prevent the website or requested service from functioning correctly.

4. Analytics and Statistical Cookies

We may use analytics technologies to understand how our website is used and to help us improve the ECDL Digital website and services.

Depending on how a particular analytics technology is configured and used, we may either:

• request your consent before using it; or
• rely on an applicable statistical-purpose exception permitted under UK law.

Where we rely on the statistical-purpose exception, the technology will be used solely to collect statistical information about use of our website with the purpose of improving the website or service.

This may include information such as:

• Number of visits to particular pages.
• Time spent on pages.
• Browser or device type.
• General website navigation patterns.
• Page loading performance.
• How visitors reached our website.
• Aggregated interactions with website features.

Where required, we will provide a simple and free means of objecting to this type of statistical use.

Analytics information used under this exception will not be used for advertising, profiling individual visitors or making decisions about particular users.

5. Functional and Preference Technologies

Certain technologies may help us remember choices you make or improve how our website appears and operates.

Examples may include:

• Language preferences.
• Display preferences.
• Accessibility settings.
• Saved website selections.
• User-interface preferences.

Depending on the purpose and configuration, we may ask for your consent or rely on an applicable legal exception.

Where an exception requiring an objection mechanism applies, we will provide an appropriate way for you to object.

6. Marketing and Advertising Cookies

With your permission, ECDL Digital may use advertising, marketing or tracking technologies to understand the effectiveness of campaigns, display relevant advertising or measure interactions with advertising.

These technologies may collect information about:

• Pages you visit.
• Links or advertisements you interact with.
• Products or courses you view.
• Your interaction with marketing campaigns.
• Website conversions or purchases attributable to advertising.

Marketing and advertising technologies will not be activated before the required consent has been obtained.

You can refuse marketing cookies without preventing access to the main ECDL Digital website.

7. Third-Party Technologies

Some features of our website may involve technologies operated by third-party service providers.

These may include providers associated with:

• Website analytics.
• Payment processing.
• Video or embedded content.
• Customer support or live chat.
• Advertising platforms.
• Social media.
• Website security and performance.
• Learning or course-management systems.

Where third-party technologies require consent, they will only be activated after the appropriate permission has been obtained.

Third parties may process information in accordance with their own privacy and cookie policies. Where required, our cookie preference system will provide information about relevant third parties and the purposes for which their technologies are used.

8. Your Cookie Choices

When you first visit ECDL Digital, you may be shown a cookie preference or consent tool.

Depending on the technologies currently used on our website, you may be able to:

• Accept all optional cookies
• Reject optional cookies
• Select individual categories
• Change your preferences later
• Object to certain exempt statistical or preference technologies where applicable

Rejecting optional cookies should be as straightforward as accepting them.

Your decision regarding optional cookies will not prevent us from using cookies that are strictly necessary to provide the website or services you request.

9. Changing or Withdrawing Your Consent

Where we rely on your consent, you can change your mind or withdraw that consent at any time through the cookie settings available on our website.

Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before your consent was withdrawn.

Once your preferences are changed, ECDL Digital will stop using the relevant technologies for future activity as required.

10. Browser Controls

Most web browsers also allow you to manage or delete cookies through their settings.

Depending on your browser, you may be able to:

• View cookies stored on your device.
• Delete existing cookies.
• Block particular cookies.
• Block all cookies.
• Restrict third-party cookies.

Please be aware that blocking certain cookies may affect website functionality and could prevent some services from operating correctly.

Browser settings are additional controls and do not replace the cookie choices we provide where those choices are required.

For more information on how to manage or delete cookies across different browsers, visit www.aboutcookies.org

11. How Long Cookies Are Stored

Different cookies remain on your device for different periods.

Some are session cookies, which expire when you close your browser.

Others are persistent cookies, which remain for a specified period or until they are deleted.

ECDL Digital aims to retain cookies and related information only for an appropriate period having regard to the purpose for which the technology is used.

Specific retention periods may be displayed within our cookie preference tool where appropriate.

12. Personal Data and Cookies

Some information obtained through cookies or similar technologies may constitute personal data.

Where this occurs, ECDL Digital will process that information in accordance with applicable data-protection law and our Privacy Policy.

This may include information such as device identifiers, IP-related information, account identifiers or interaction information where those details can identify or relate to an individual.

13. Security and Fraud Prevention

ECDL Digital may use strictly necessary technologies to protect our website, customers, learner accounts and payment systems against fraud, misuse, malicious activity or unauthorised access.

These technologies may operate without optional cookie consent where they are necessary to provide a secure service requested by the user or otherwise fall within an applicable legal exception.

14. Updates to This Cookies Policy

We may update this policy periodically where:

• Our website changes.
• We introduce or remove technologies.
• Third-party providers change.
• Our services change.
• Applicable law or regulatory guidance changes.

The latest version will be made available on the ECDL Digital website.

Where a material change affects the basis upon which your consent was obtained, we may request your consent again where required.

15. Contact ECDL Digital

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or similar technologies, please contact:

ECDL Digital

Email: info@ecdldigital.com

For further information about how ECDL Digital handles personal information, please also refer to our Privacy Policy.