Please read the following information carefully:
In order to comply with the requirements established in the EU Directive of May 26, 2012 and the provisions of Law no. 506 of November 17, 2004 regarding the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector, all website visitors are asked for their consent before cookies are transmitted to their computers.
This website uses its own cookies and third-party cookies to provide visitors with a much better browsing experience and services adapted to the needs and interests of each visitor.
Cookies play an important role in facilitating access to and delivery of the multiple services that users enjoy on the internet, such as:
- Customizing certain settings such as: the language in which a site is viewed, accessing previous preferences through the "forward" and "back" buttons.
- Cookies provide website owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are used by users, so they can make them even more efficient and accessible to users.
- They allow multimedia or other types of applications from other sites to be included in a particular site to create a more valuable, useful, and pleasant browsing experience.
What is a "cookie"?
An "Internet Cookie" (also known as a "browser cookie" or "HTTP cookie" or simply "cookie") is a small file, consisting of letters and numbers, that will be stored on the computer, mobile terminal, or other equipment of a user from which the Internet is accessed.
The cookie is installed upon request from a web server to a browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely "passive" (it does not contain software programs, viruses, or spyware and cannot access information on the user's hard drive).
A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Furthermore, the lifetime of a cookie is determined; technically, only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server.
Cookies themselves do not require personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users.
There are 2 major categories of cookies:
- Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the web browser's cookie folder so that it remembers them until the user leaves the respective website or closes the browser window (e.g., when logging in/out of a webmail account or social networks).
- Persistent cookies – these are stored on a computer's or device's hard drive (and generally depend on the preset lifetime of the cookie). Persistent cookies include those placed by a website other than the one the user is visiting at that time – known as "third party cookies" – which can be used anonymously to remember a user's interests so that advertising as relevant as possible is delivered to users.
What are the advantages of cookies?
A cookie contains information that links a web browser (the user) to a specific web server (the website). If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the already stored information and react accordingly. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to offer comfortable services to users: e.g., online privacy preferences, site language options, shopping carts, or relevant advertising.
What is the lifetime of a cookie?
Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifetime of a cookie can vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session (session cookies) and are no longer retained once the user has left the website, while some cookies are retained and reused each time the user returns to that website (persistent cookies). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time through browser settings.
What are third-party cookies?
Certain sections of content on some sites may be provided through third parties/suppliers (e.g., a news box, a video, or an advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the site, and they are called "third party cookies" because they are not placed by the owner of the respective website. Third-party providers must also comply with applicable law and the privacy policies of the site owner.
How are cookies used by a website?
A visit to a website may place cookies for:
- increasing website performance;
- visitor analysis;
- geotargeting;
- user registration.
Performance cookies
This type of cookie retains the user's preferences on this site, so there is no need to set them each time the site is visited.
Examples: volume settings for the video player, video streaming speed compatible with the browser.
Visitor analysis cookies
Each time a user visits a site, the analytics software provided by a third party generates a user analysis cookie. This cookie tells whether you have visited this site before. The browser will signal whether you have this cookie, and if not, one will be generated. This allows monitoring of unique users visiting the site and how often they do so.
As long as the visitor is not registered on the site, this cookie cannot be used to identify natural persons; they are used only for statistical purposes. If registered, additional details provided may also be known, such as email address and username – these being subject to confidentiality in accordance with the provisions of current legislation regarding the protection of personal data.
Geotargeting cookies
These cookies are used by software that determines which country you come from. It is completely anonymous and is used only to target content – even when the visitor is on the page in Romanian or another language, they will receive the same advertisement.
Registration cookies
When you register on a site, a cookie is generated that indicates whether you are registered or not. Servers use these cookies to show the account you are registered with and whether you have permission for a particular service. It also allows any comment posted on the site to be associated with your username. If you have not selected "keep me logged in," this cookie will be automatically deleted when you close the browser or computer.
Other third-party cookies
On some pages, third parties may set their own anonymous cookies for the purpose of tracking the success of an application or customizing an application.
For example, when you share an article using the social media button on a site, that social network will record your activity.
What type of information is stored and accessed through cookies?
Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server will recognize the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.
The cookie stores important information that improves the Internet browsing experience (e.g., language settings for accessing a site; keeping a user logged in to their webmail account; online banking security; keeping products in the shopping cart).
Why are cookies important for the Internet?
Cookies are the central point of efficient Internet functioning, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Refusing or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use.
Examples of important uses of cookies (that do not require user authentication through an account):
- Content and services adapted to user preferences – news categories, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites, and travel services.
- Offers adapted to user interests – password retention, language preferences (e.g., displaying search results in Romanian).
- Retention of child protection filters for Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions).
- Measurement, optimization, and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed, and how a user arrives at a website (e.g., through search engines, directly, from other websites). Websites conduct these usage analyses to improve their sites for the benefit of users.
Security and privacy concerns
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code, so they cannot be executed, nor can they self-execute. Consequently, they cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks to run or replicate again. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.
Cookies can, however, be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about user preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and on multiple other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and consistently flag cookies for deletion during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures.
In general, browsers have built-in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site.
Tips for safe and responsible browsing based on cookies.
Customize your browser settings regarding cookies to reflect a comfortable level of cookie usage security for you.
If you share computer access, you may consider setting the browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close the browser. This is a way to access sites that place cookies and to delete any visit information when closing the browsing session.
Install and constantly update antispyware applications.
Many spyware detection and prevention applications include the detection of site attacks. This prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software.
How can I stop cookies?
Disabling and refusing to receive cookies can make certain sites impractical or difficult to visit and use.
It is possible to set the browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted, or the browser can be set to accept cookies from a specific site. However, for example, if a visitor is not registered using cookies, they will not be able to leave comments.
All modern browsers offer the ability to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the Options/Settings menu or in the Preferences/Favorites menu of the browser.
To understand these settings, the following links may be useful:
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari