Effective Date
2026/01/03
What Cookies Are and Why We Use Them
Cookies are small text files that a website can store in your browser or on your device when you visit a page. They help a site remember actions and preferences (for example, language selections, display settings, consent choices, or form state) and help site owners understand how visitors interact with content.
At The Armchair Adventurer, we use cookies and similar technologies to keep the site running properly, improve usability, and understand which content is most helpful. Some cookies are set by our domain (first-party cookies). Others may be set by service providers we use for analytics, security, performance, or embedded features (third-party cookies).
Cookies do not typically contain your name or direct identity on their own. However, certain identifiers and signals—such as device and browser attributes, IP address, unique cookie IDs, and interaction data—may be treated as “personal information” or “personal data” under certain U.S. state privacy laws, depending on how they’re used and combined. This Cookie Policy explains the categories of cookies we may use, what they do, and the choices you may have.
What We Mean by “Cookies and Similar Technologies”
When we say “cookies” in this policy, we also mean other technologies that perform similar functions. Depending on what features are enabled on the site at any given time, this can include tracking pixels or web beacons (small signals that help measure page activity), browser storage (such as localStorage or sessionStorage that can remember settings on your device), software development kits (SDKs) in certain environments (if applicable), and server logs that record technical events (such as errors, request timestamps, and basic diagnostic information).
These tools are commonly used across the web to support website functionality, reduce fraud and abuse, understand performance, and improve the quality of content and navigation.
Cookie Categories We May Use
The specific cookies on our site can change over time—for example, if we switch analytics providers, add or remove a security feature, update our website platform, or modify embedded content. The categories below describe how cookies typically function and why we may use them:
- Strictly Necessary Cookies: These support core site functions such as security, basic navigation, page load balancing, and essential site operations. Without them, the site may not function reliably.
- Functional Cookies: These remember your preferences (such as display settings or region-related choices) so the site is easier to use on return visits.
- Performance and Analytics Cookies: These help us understand how visitors use the site—such as which pages are viewed, how long people stay, how they move between pages, and where users may run into friction. We use these insights to improve structure and content.
- Advertising/Marketing Cookies: If enabled, these may help measure campaign effectiveness, limit how often ads are shown, or support more relevant advertising.
- Social and Embedded Content Cookies: These may be set when a page includes third-party embedded content (such as video players or other widgets) and the provider uses its own identifiers.
First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are set by our website domain and are generally used for essential operations, preference storage, and site-level measurement.
Third-party cookies are set by third-party domains. They may appear if we use external services such as analytics platforms, performance tools, security and anti-abuse services, advertising partners, or embedded media. Third-party providers operate under their own privacy practices, and their cookie behavior can change based on their product updates and your browser settings.
We aim to use third-party services intentionally and only when they provide meaningful value for site security, performance, or content quality.
Session Cookies vs. Persistent Cookies
Session cookies typically last only as long as your browser session and are usually deleted when you close your browser. They often support temporary site behavior, such as maintaining state while you navigate.
Persistent cookies remain on your device for a longer period (from days to months, depending on purpose and provider settings). They can help remember preferences over time or support measurement across return visits. You can delete persistent cookies using your browser settings. Many browsers also let you automatically clear cookies when the browser closes.
Information That May Be Collected or Inferred Through Cookies
Depending on which features and providers are active, cookies and similar technologies may collect, receive, or process information such as your device type, browser type and version, language preferences, approximate location (often inferred at a city or regional level from IP address), unique identifiers associated with your browser or device, and data about how you interact with pages (for example, views, clicks, scroll behavior, and navigation paths). They may also record referral information (such as whether you came from a search engine or another website) and limited diagnostic events (such as page errors or performance issues).
We do not use cookies to manually identify you by name. Still, certain identifiers can be considered personal information under some U.S. laws when used to recognize a consumer, a household, or a device over time, or when used for targeted advertising purposes. For that reason, we treat cookie-related data with privacy in mind and provide choices where feasible.
Your Choices and How to Control Cookies
Your cookie controls depend on your browser, your device, and which site features are currently enabled. You generally have multiple ways to limit or manage cookies.
Browser settings typically allow you to block cookies, delete existing cookies, restrict third-party cookies, or automatically clear cookies when you close your browser. Keep in mind that blocking strictly necessary cookies may cause parts of the site to stop working correctly, including basic page functions, security protections, or certain preference features.
If we use a cookie banner or preference center, you may be able to choose which categories you allow (for example, analytics or marketing cookies). If you change your mind later, you may be able to update your preferences through that interface. If an interface is not available, clearing cookies in your browser may reset certain choices and cause consent prompts to appear again, depending on site configuration.
Some third-party providers offer their own opt-out pages or privacy controls. If you want to disable a specific provider’s tracking, those tools can sometimes be the most direct way to manage it.
- Browser controls: Block or delete cookies, restrict third-party cookies, and set automatic cookie deletion on exit.
- Device-level privacy settings (where applicable): Limit ad personalization and reset or restrict advertising identifiers.
- Provider opt-outs (where available): Use the official opt-out or privacy settings offered by specific analytics or advertising providers.
- Privacy preference signals: Some browsers and extensions support signals such as Global Privacy Control (GPC), which may communicate certain privacy preferences to websites.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Some browsers provide a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. Because there is no consistent industry standard for how DNT must be honored, websites and service providers do not respond to it uniformly. As a result, we may not be able to recognize or apply DNT across all site features, especially if third-party tools do not support it.
Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a more modern signal that, in certain U.S. jurisdictions, may be treated as a request to opt out of certain data uses—such as the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for targeted advertising, as those terms are defined by applicable state privacy laws. If we are able to detect a GPC signal and it applies to your situation, we will make reasonable efforts to honor it for the relevant processing activities, subject to technical feasibility and the configuration of our service providers.
Advertising and “Sale” or “Sharing” Concepts Under U.S. State Laws
The site is designed for U.S. readers, specialists, and businesses, and we recognize that multiple U.S. states have enacted privacy laws that give consumers certain rights regarding personal information. In some laws, “sale” or “sharing” can include certain disclosures of identifiers to third parties for targeted advertising or cross-context behavioral advertising, even when money does not change hands.
If we enable advertising or marketing cookies, those tools may involve third parties that use cookie identifiers or similar signals to measure or personalize ads. If you want to reduce this type of activity, you can use cookie preference controls (if available), limit third-party cookies in your browser, use provider opt-outs where available, and consider enabling signals like GPC. If our site provides a separate “Do Not Sell or Share” mechanism or similar control within our Privacy Policy or consent interface, you may use that as well.
Children’s Privacy
This website is intended for a general audience and is not designed to knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We do not knowingly target marketing cookies to children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information through our site, please contact us so we can review and take appropriate steps, consistent with applicable law.
Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect site changes, provider changes, legal developments, or operational updates. When we make changes, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this page periodically, especially if you use enhanced privacy controls or want to stay informed about cookie categories and available choices.
Contact Us
If you have questions about how cookies are used on the site, how to manage your preferences, or how to report a concern, contact:
Please do not send sensitive information to this email address (such as passwords, payment card numbers, or government identifiers).