Cookies

1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small files that are saved on your computer when you visit web pages. They contain information linked to a web browser and the specific website. Cookies consist of two elements: the name and the content. They are saved in a specific folder on your hard drive and they have a unique ID and length of validity. If you return to a specific website, this page can recognise the visitor by means of the cookie and further elaborate the history. Some cookies are automatically removed when you leave the website; others remain on your computer until you delete them.

Cookies are not active, executing software, which means that they are not harmful to your computer. They are not always commercial either. Cookies are used to increase visitor-friendliness: by identifying visitors with a cookie, they do not always have to enter the same data such as login information or screen settings every time you visit the website. Moreover, cookies are used to map out the surfing behaviour of visitors. Which and how many pages are visited, via which path and how long does the visitor remain on the website? Based on these results, the website can be adapted and respond to the interests and needs of visitors of the site. For example, by showing personalised information to visitors.

2. Which kind of cookies exist?
Often a distinction is made between two large groups of cookies:

First party cookies: these are direct cookies. They are created by a website to have the web page function better. They regulate the technical part of a site, such as language choice or remembering the products in the shopping basket in an online store. The visited website creates and places first party cookies.
Third party cookies: these indirect cookies are created and placed on your computer by another (third) party than the website you visit. They remember the behaviour of a surfer. Examples are social media such as Facebook or Twitter, but Google Analytics as well. This is the system used most to measure website visits. It is because of these cookies in particular that website owners have to ask the explicit permission from surfers, since the changed legislation of 2012.

The legislation of 2012 does not make a distinction between first party cookies and third party cookies. The criterion is permission. Cookies required for the correct functioning of the site do not require permission. All other cookies do.

3. Which cookies do we use?
We use first party cookies and third party cookies.

The websites of Escos mainly use first party cookies. These cookies are provided to help improve your user experience on the site. We do this by recording specific information about the user such as the language chosen, the pages visited and the duration of the visits. To use our websites to the fullest, your computer, tablet or mobile phone has to accept cookies.

The websites of Escos also use third party cookies: cookies from Google Analytics.
Google Analytics is a free service by Google to collect statistics of websites and to represent them in detail. The website administrator thus has a clear view on visitor flows, traffic flows and page displays. This way it is possible to adapt parts of a website or complete websites to the behaviour and interests of the visitors. This is the reason why the websites of Escos use the statistics of Google Analytics.

4. How to manage cookies?
You can do so by adapting your browser settings. You can choose to block cookies or to accept only cookies from specific websites.
Can blocking cookies influence your surfing ease on the websites of Escos? Yes and no. If you want to deactivate all or only specific cookies, you can surf to our websites. But, you can surf to specific, personal properties of our websites only by accepting cookies. An outstanding example is ordering online through one of the Escos online stores. When you want to avoid cookies, there is a chance you will not be able to place orders online. Your surfing experience will generally be less smooth when you refuse all cookies. Some (parts of) websites will not work. In other words, it is not a good idea to block all cookies.

Below, you will find an overview of the possibilities the browsers offer to manage cookies.

   Google Chrome
Open your browser. Click the Chrome menu and choose settings. Click display advanced settings and then the button Settings for content in the ‘Privacy’ section. In the ‘Cookies’ section you can edit your cookies settings and remove cookies.

   Internet Explorer
Open your browser. Click Tools and then Internet options. Click the ‘Privacy’ section and choose the level you want with the slide control. You can also change this manually by clicking Advanced. A distinction is made between permanent direct cookies (first party cookies), permanent indirect cookies (third party cookies) and temporary cookies (session cookies). You can remove cookies by means of the main screen of internet options.

    Mozilla Firefox
Open your browser. Select Privacy. Set Firefox to Use adapted settings for history. To switch cookies on, put a checkmark with Accept cookies of websites. To switch off cookies, remove this checkmark. Firefox also gives you the possibility to switch off cookies of third parties (third party cookies). Furthermore you can set for how long cookies can be kept. Click Show cookies and you can remove one or several cookies.

    Safari
Open your browser. In Safari, cookie administration is limited to one screen. In tab sheet Preferences click Privacy. You then have three possibilities to accept cookies. Via Show Cookies you can also remove cookies.

   Opera
Open your browser. Click the Extra menu and then Preferences. Via Advanced and Cookies you can set your cookies settings. You also have the possibility to have new cookies removed automatically when you close each Internet session. Moreover, you can decide about each cookie that is sent to your computer. You do this by clicking Ask me before accepting cookies. Each time a site wants to save a cookie, a dialog box is displayed.