1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and provide information to website owners. Cookies typically contain a unique identifier, the name of the website, and some digits and numbers.
Similar technologies include web beacons, pixels, local storage, and session storage. For simplicity, we refer to all these technologies collectively as "cookies" in this policy.
2. Why We Use Cookies
We use cookies for several important reasons:
- Essential functionality: Keep you logged in, maintain your session, remember your security settings, and enable core features
- User preferences: Remember your language preferences, display settings, and customization choices
- Security: Detect fraudulent activity, prevent abuse, protect against unauthorized access, and validate your identity
- Performance: Understand how the Service performs, identify errors, and monitor system health
- Analytics: Understand how visitors use the Service, which features are popular, and how we can improve
- Legal compliance: Meet regulatory requirements and maintain audit trails
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies (Essential)
These cookies are essential for the Service to function properly. Without these cookies, core features like logging in, accessing your account, and maintaining your session would not work. You cannot opt-out of these cookies.
Examples include:
- Session cookies: Keep you logged in as you navigate between pages
- Authentication tokens: Verify your identity and maintain secure access
- Security cookies: Detect fraudulent login attempts and protect against attacks
- CSRF tokens: Prevent cross-site request forgery attacks
- Load balancing cookies: Distribute traffic across our servers
Cookie names: connect.sid, _csrf, session
Duration: Session cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or up to 30 days for persistent login
Purpose: Authentication, security, session management
Legal basis (GDPR): Legitimate interest / Necessary for contract performance
3.2 Functional Cookies (Optional)
These cookies allow the Service to remember choices you make (such as your username, language preference, or region) and provide enhanced, personalized features. They may also be used to provide services you have requested, such as watching a video or commenting on a profile.
Examples include:
- Preference cookies: Remember your display settings, theme preferences, and customization choices
- Language cookies: Remember your preferred language
- Form data: Remember information you've entered in forms (to save you from re-entering it)
- Feature flags: Enable or disable features based on your settings
Duration: Up to 1 year
Purpose: Enhanced user experience, personalization
Legal basis (GDPR): Consent or legitimate interest
Opt-out: You can disable these cookies through your browser settings (see Section 6)
3.3 Analytics and Performance Cookies (Optional)
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the Service by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This helps us improve the Service, identify issues, and develop new features.
Examples include:
- Usage analytics: Track which pages are visited, how long visitors stay, and which features are used
- Performance monitoring: Measure page load times, identify errors, and monitor system health
- A/B testing: Test different versions of features to see which performs better
- Error tracking: Capture error logs to help us fix bugs
Duration: Up to 2 years
Purpose: Analytics, performance optimization, bug tracking
Legal basis (GDPR): Consent or legitimate interest (with anonymization)
Opt-out: You can disable these cookies through your browser settings or use browser extensions like "Privacy Badger"
3.4 Third-Party Cookies
We may use third-party services that set their own cookies. We do not control these cookies and they are subject to the third party's privacy policy.
Third-party services we may use:
- Google OAuth: Authentication service (if you log in with Google)
- Cloudinary: Image hosting and delivery
- Google Fonts: Web fonts (may set cookies for performance)
We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of these third-party services:
- Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
- Cloudinary Privacy Policy: https://cloudinary.com/privacy
4. Cookies We Do NOT Use
To respect your privacy, we explicitly do NOT use:
- Advertising cookies: We do not serve ads or use cookies for behavioral advertising
- Social media tracking pixels: We do not use Facebook Pixel, Twitter tracking, or similar technologies
- Cross-site tracking: We do not track you across other websites
- Fingerprinting: We do not use device fingerprinting techniques
- Data selling: We never sell cookie data or any personal information to third parties
5. Cookie Consent and Your Choices
5.1 EU/EEA Residents (GDPR and ePrivacy Directive)
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies (functional and analytics cookies). You can withdraw your consent at any time by clearing your cookies or adjusting your browser settings.
Your rights under GDPR:
- Right to give or withdraw consent
- Right to know what cookies are used and for what purpose
- Right to access cookie data we hold about you
- Right to request deletion of cookie data
5.2 UK Residents (UK GDPR and PECR)
UK residents have the same rights as EU residents under UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). We will obtain your consent before using non-essential cookies.
5.3 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), you have the right to:
- Know what personal information is collected through cookies
- Know whether we sell or share your personal information (we do not)
- Opt-out of the sale of personal information (not applicable as we don't sell)
- Request deletion of personal information collected through cookies
We do not sell personal information or use cookies for targeted advertising.
5.4 Other Jurisdictions
We respect the privacy laws of all jurisdictions. If your country or region has specific cookie or privacy regulations, we aim to comply with those requirements. Contact us at support@dankoresoft.com for jurisdiction-specific questions.
6. How to Control and Delete Cookies
6.1 Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:
- View what cookies are stored and delete them individually
- Block third-party cookies
- Block all cookies (note: this will prevent you from using essential features)
- Clear all cookies when you close your browser
- Set exceptions for specific websites
How to manage cookies in popular browsers:
- 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
- Opera: Settings > Advanced > Privacy & security > Cookies
For detailed instructions, visit your browser's help documentation:
6.2 Mobile Devices
Mobile browsers also allow cookie management:
- iOS (Safari): Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data
- Android (Chrome): Chrome > Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data
6.3 Third-Party Opt-Out Tools
You can use browser extensions and tools to manage cookies across multiple websites:
- Privacy Badger: https://privacybadger.org/
- uBlock Origin: https://ublockorigin.com/
- Ghostery: https://www.ghostery.com/
- Your Online Choices: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ (EU)
6.4 Do Not Track (DNT)
Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" feature that sends a signal to websites requesting not to be tracked. Because there is no common industry standard for how to respond to DNT signals, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals. We are committed to honoring opt-out preferences expressed through browser settings and will update this policy if a clear DNT standard emerges.
6.5 Impact of Disabling Cookies
If you disable or delete cookies, you may experience:
- Inability to log in or stay logged in
- Loss of preferences and settings
- Reduced functionality of the Service
- Need to re-enter information repeatedly
- Less personalized experience
Essential cookies are required for the Service to function. Disabling them will significantly impair your ability to use the platform.
7. Cookie Retention and Expiration
Different cookies have different lifespans:
- Session cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
- Persistent cookies: Remain on your device for a specified period or until you delete them
| Cookie Type | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Session (authentication) | Session or 30 days (if "Remember me" checked) |
| Security (CSRF) | Session |
| Preferences | 1 year |
| Analytics | Up to 2 years |
8. Updates to Cookie Usage
We may update our use of cookies from time to time as we:
- Add new features or functionality
- Adopt new technologies
- Comply with changing legal requirements
- Improve security or performance
- Change service providers
When we make material changes to our cookie practices, we will update this Cookie Policy and the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may also notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Service.
9. Cookies and Children
The Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 via cookies or any other means. If you believe we have inadvertently collected cookie data from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at support@dankoresoft.com.
10. International Users and Data Transfers
Cookies may result in data being transferred to and processed in countries outside your country of residence, including countries that may not have the same data protection laws. By using the Service, you consent to these transfers. We take appropriate measures to ensure your data is protected in accordance with this Cookie Policy regardless of where it is processed.
11. Relationship to Privacy Policy
This Cookie Policy supplements our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. For information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information beyond cookies, please review our Privacy Policy. In the event of any conflict between this Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy, the Privacy Policy shall prevail.
12. Contact Us About Cookies
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding cookies, please contact us:
Email: support@dankoresoft.com
Data Controller: GSS Gwarinpa Contact Book
Service Provider: Dankore Software
Subject Line: "Cookie Policy Inquiry"
We aim to respond to cookie-related inquiries within 5-10 business days.
13. Acknowledgment and Consent
By clicking "Accept" on any cookie consent banner or by continuing to use the Service after being informed of our cookie practices, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookie Policy and consent to our use of cookies as described herein.
If you are located in a jurisdiction that requires explicit consent (such as the EU/EEA), we will obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You can withdraw your consent at any time by clearing your cookies and adjusting your browser settings.