This page explains what cookies are, how they work, how to manage them and how we use cookies.
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that the SPICe Spotlight website puts on your computer. They help this website work.
Cookies collect information about how you use this site so we can make sure it meets your needs.
How cookies work
Cookies store information on the device you’re using. Sometimes this information is essential if you want to use a website’s functions. For example, if you need to log in, a cookie will allow the website to recognise your log-in details.
Cookies can also be used to build a profile of your activity on a website. This includes which pages you visit and how long you spend on each page.
A website may use this information to tailor the pages you see on future visits.
We’ve listed below how the SPICe Spotlight website uses cookies.
Managing or deleting cookies
All recent versions of popular browsers, like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, allow you to control cookies. You can set your browser to:
- accept all cookies
- reject all cookies
- accept or reject only certain cookies
For example, you might be happy to accept a cookie that allows you to log in to a website, but want to reject ones which are used to build a profile of how you use the internet.
You should also be able to set your browser to prompt you each time a cookie is offered.
Visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website to find out how to control or delete cookies.
How we use cookies
We use cookies for three purposes:
- Necessary cookies: these either improve your experience on the website or are required for some of its features to function correctly. This might include making it quicker and easier for you to find what you need, or remembering your settings.
- Analytic cookies: these collect information about how you use our website through Google Analytics (GA). GA is a tool that produces detailed statistics about website activity. It allows us to see where the website can better meet our users’ needs.
- Marketing cookies: these are set by social-media platforms which we use to share our content more widely (YouTube, X/Twitter and Facebook).
The cookies we use
Necessary cookies
Name |
What it does |
When it expires |
|---|---|---|
WFESessionId |
The cookie enables a Power BI session, a Microsoft tool that helps visualize data |
Session |
ARRAffinitySameSite |
When using Microsoft Azure as a hosting platform and enabling load balancing, this cookie ensures that requests from one visitor’s browsing session are always handled by the same server in the cluster. |
Session |
ai_user |
This is a unique user identifier cookie enabling counting of the number of users accessing the Power BI application over time. |
1 year |
ai_session |
This is a unique anonymous session identifier cookie used by Power BI. |
30 minutes |
wordpress_test_cookie |
Cookie set by WordPress to check if the cookies are enabled on the browser to provide appropriate user experience |
Session |
AWSALBCORS |
These cookies are set by Scottish Parliament TV. They enable us to allocate server traffic to make the user experience as smooth as possible. |
7 days |
cf_clearance |
This is used for validation by CAPTCHA or Javascript challenge when accessing audio files on Podbean |
1 year |
session |
Set by Shinyapps.io to allow web applications using the tool to function correctly. |
Session |
jetpack_sso_original_request |
This cookie is used by Jet Pack to identify how a visitor enters SPICe Spotlight and stores the URL of where they came from. |
60 minutes |
jetpack_sso_nonce |
This cookie is used by Jet Pack for nonce verification, a security method that checks if a request made to the site is valid and comes from an authorised source. |
10 minutes |
Analytics cookies
Name |
When it expires |
What it does |
|---|---|---|
_ga_* |
1 year |
Google Analytics cookie used to identify and track an individual user session |
_ga |
1 year |
Google Analytics cookie which registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how you use the website. |
_gid |
24 hours |
Used by Google Analytics to users for 24 hours |
_gat_gtag_UA_* |
Used by Google Analytics to limit requests to its service. |
56 seconds |
Marketing cookies
Name |
What it does |
When it expires |
|---|---|---|
YSC |
This cookie registers a unique ID to keep statistics of what videos from YouTube the user has seen. |
Session |
Secure-ROLLOUT_TOKEN |
YouTube uses this cookie to launch new features and measure related impact when other existing cookies and identifiers cannot be used for the same purpose. |
6 months |
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE |
Google uses this cookie on YouTube to deliver adverts or retargeting, to store and track a visitor’s identity, or to store and track interaction. |
6 months |
Secure-YNID |
Google uses this cookie on YouTube to deliver adverts or retargeting, to store and track a visitor’s identity, or to store and track interaction. |
6 months |
guest_id |
This cookie is set by X/Twitter to identify and track website visitors. It registers if a user is signed into the X platform and collects information about ad preferences. |
1 year |
gt |
X/Twitter uses these cookies to support plugin integration with SPICe Spotlight. If you use the Tweet plugin and log into your X account, X will set some of these cookies to remember that you are logged in. X will also use cookies for their own analytics purposes. |
2 hours |
__cf_bm |
This cookie is set by X/Twitter to enable Cloudflare’s bot products to identify and mitigate automated traffic. |
30 minutes |
cuid |
This cookie is used by X/Twitter for tracking and analytics |
1 year |
g_state |
This cookie is set by X/Twitter to enable Google authentication |
6 months |
external_referer |
SPICe Spotlight uses X buttons to allow visitors to follow our X feeds and embed feeds on our website. Twitter installs this cookie to improve its own service and personalize its content. |
7 days |
datr |
This cookie is used by Facebook to prevent the creation of fake / spammy accounts. The Datr cookie is associated with a browser, not individual people. |
1 year |