Cookie and privacy policy

Cookies are a specific technology that store information between website visits.

Cookies are small pieces of information, normally consisting of just letters and numbers, which online services provide when users visit them. Software on the user’s device (for example a web browser) can store cookies and send them back to the website next time they visit.

Cookies can be useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.

The Portsmouth City Council website uses two kinds of cookies.

We use some necessary cookies that are there to enable the website to function.

We also use optional cookies which help us understand how our customers use our website. This helps us to make ongoing improvements to the user experience on our website.

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable necessary cookies by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

The Portsmouth City Council website uses necessary cookies to control cookie preferences.

The cookies are used to remember a user’s choices about cookies on the Portsmouth City Council website. Where users have previously indicated a preference, that preference will be stored in the cookie. This is necessary so the website does not ask users to set their cookies preferences on each visit.

When you first visit the Portsmouth City Council website, you will be asked if you want to accept optional cookies, or view cookie settings.

In cookie settings, you can select whether you want to accept or not accept cookies, and submit your preferences.

Until you provide consent to use cookies on the website, optional cookies will not be activated. You can continue to navigate the website without submitting your preference, and not accepting cookies won’t affect your experience across the website.

The Portsmouth City Council website uses the following optional cookies.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to track page visits, how our users navigate through the website, and information about where traffic comes from. This information helps us to improve the user experience.

Google Analytics processes anonymised information on:

• a page a user visits
• how long the user spends on each page
• how the user got to the site
• what the user clicks on while visiting the site

We do not store your personal information through Google Analytics (for example your name or address). We will not identify you through analytics information, and we will not combine analytics information with other data sets in a way that would identify who you are.

Crazy Egg

Portsmouth City Council uses Crazy Egg, a GDPR-compliant feedback and user behaviour tool, which sets cookies in order to allow users to provide feedback, to track where users are clicking and observe mouse flow.

We use Crazy Egg in order to better understand our users’ needs and to optimize this service and experience. Crazy Egg uses cookies to track individual sessions and display surveys.

Crazy Egg does not collect or store any personally identifiable information. All IP addresses are anonymised, with visitors assigned a unique identifier so returning users can be tracked without relying on personal information.

Crazy Egg also suppresses keystroke data on all data fields. This information is suppressed on the user-end, meaning it never reaches their servers – on recordings, any time a user enters information in the search bar, it is completely masked.

Crazy Egg cookies will not be activated unless you consent to optional cookies.

Session cookies allow websites to recognise and link the actions of a user during a browsing session.

These are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your browser until you have left the site. This information is not stored after you have left our site.

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings.

Find out how to manage cookies on popular browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Opera
• Apple Safari

You can also opt out of tracking by Google Analytics across all websites.

Some visual components of WP Google Maps use 3rd party libraries which are loaded over the network. At present the libraries are Google Maps, Open Street Map, jQuery DataTables and FontAwesome. When loading resources over a network, the 3rd party server will receive your IP address and User Agent string amongst other details. Please refer to the Privacy Policy of the respective libraries for details on how they use data and the process to exercise your rights under the GDPR regulations.

WP Google Maps uses jQuery DataTables to display sortable, searchable tables, such as that seen in the Advanced Marker Listing and on the Map Edit Page. jQuery DataTables in certain circumstances uses a cookie to save and later recall the “state” of a given table – that is, the search term, sort column and order and current page. This data is held in local storage and retained until this is cleared manually. No libraries used by WP Google Maps transmit this information.

Please see here and here for Google’s terms. Please also see Google’s Privacy Policy. We do not send the API provider any personally identifying information, or information that could uniquely identify your device.