A cookie is small data file that is downloaded from a website on to your computer or mobile phone.
It helps that website remember how you use the site but it doesn’t contain any personal information and cannot be used to identify who you are.
The purpose of cookies is to make it easier and quicker for you to use the site.
For example, if you have to sign in to use a service, a cookie will remember that you have already signed in so that you don't have to enter your username and password on every single page you visit.
Cookies can also measure how many people are visiting a website - and how they're using it. This information can then help improve the overall experience for users.
On this site you will experience first party cookies set by Ofcom websites only.
We will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you.
However, if you wish to restrict or block the cookies which are set by our websites, or indeed any other website, you can do this through your browser settings. The ‘Help’ function within your browser should tell you how.
Alternatively, this online guide contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers. You will also find details on how to delete cookies from your machine as well as more general information about cookies.
Please be aware that restricting cookies may impact on the functionality of our website.
If you wish to view your cookie code, just click on a cookie to open it. You’ll see a short string of text and numbers. The numbers are your identification card, which can only be seen by the server that gave you the cookie.
For information on how to do this on the browser of your mobile phone you will need to refer to your handset manual.
To opt-out of third-parties collecting any data regarding your interaction on our website, please refer to their websites for further information.
Like many websites, Ofcom uses 'session-based' cookies to ensure your visit to this site runs as smoothly as possible.
These cookies remember the selections or preferences that you’ve already made when looking at information or using a service, and are also used to help our servers cope with changes in traffic to the site.
These cookies are set by Ofcom's website and expire when you exit the site.
Ofcom website: Site wide including subsites
Purpose: Session management. These are "session-based" cookies used in order to ensure the smooth running of users’ sessions. This classification includes cookies used to support server load balancing
Benefit: To remember your selections or preferences that you’ve already made when looking at information or using a service.
| Name | Typical content | Intrusiveness level | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| ofclb | Randomly generated number | Exempt from changes to the privacy regulations | When user exits browser |
| stakeholders | Randomly generated number | Exempt from changes to the privacy regulations | When user exits browser |
| consumers | Randomly generated number | Exempt from changes to the privacy regulations | When user exits browser |
Ofcom website: Ofcom Online Licensing Services [https://services.ofcom.org.uk] | OPIR [https://secure.ofcom.org.uk/opir]
Purpose: Session management. These are "session-based" cookies used in order to ensure the smooth running of users' sessions. This classification includes cookies used to support server load balancing
Benefit: To remember your selections or preferences that you've already made when looking at information or using a service
| Name | Typical content | Intrusiveness level | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSESSIONID | Randomly generated number | Exempt from changes to the privacy regulations | When user exits browser |
Ofcom website: SPECTRAsc [https://secure.ofcom.org.uk/SPECTRAsc]
Purpose: Session management. These are "session-based" cookies used in order to ensure the smooth running of users' sessions. This classification includes cookies used to support server load balancing
Benefit: To remember your selections or preferences that you’ve already made when looking at information or using a service.
| Name | Typical content | Intrusiveness level | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSESSIONID | previous clearance name location contact satellite name antenna height antenna gain antenna diameter antenna name start timestamp end timestamp location address/description number of carriers frequency band frequencies | Minimally intrusive | When user exits browser |
Ofcom website: Site wide including sub-sites
Purpose: We use Google Analytics to see how people use the Ofcom site. It helps us to see how many people visit, which pages they view and how they navigate through the site. We can then use this information to make improvements to the site.
Benefit: To see how people use the Ofcom site, we measure numbers and volumes of visitors.
| Name | Typical content | Intrusiveness level | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| _utma | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive | 2 years |
| _utmb | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive | 30 minutes |
| _utmc | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive | When user exits browser |
| _utmz | Randomly generated number + info on how the site was reached (e.g. directly or via a link, organic search or paid search) | Minimally intrusive | 6 months |
The Ofcom 'Ask a Question' service www.ask.ofcom.org.uk, also uses session based cookies to help the service run smoothly. These expire once you exit the site.
Purpose: Session management. These are "session-based" cookies used in order to ensure the smooth running of users' sessions. This classification includes cookies used to support server load balancing
Benefit: To remember your selections or preferences that you’ve already made when looking at information or using a service.
| Name | Typical content | Intrusiveness level | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| metafaqSessionID | Randomly generated number | Exempt from changes to the privacy regulations | When user exits browser |
The third party provider of our email Updates service stores data, including personal data outside the EU/UK and uses cookies to monitor when you open emails. Knowing which Updates you read and when you read them will help us improve our service.
