Website https://gama-optic.ro/ uses cookies. In this section we will give you more information about what cookies are, how we use them and how you can manage them both on our site and on other sites for a more pleasant online experience.

Cookies: what they are and how they work

In the following lines, we will present information with the aim of informing the user about the placement, use and administration of the "cookies" used by the site https://gama-optic.ro/. Please read the following information carefully: This website uses its own cookies as well as cookies added by third parties, in order to provide visitors with a much better browsing experience and services adapted to the needs and interests of each. The "modern web" or "web 2.0" uses cookies that play an important role in facilitating the access and delivery of the multiple services that the user enjoys on the Internet, such as:

• Personalizing certain settings such as: the language in which the site is viewed, date and time, keeping options/settings (including saving them) and keeping older preferences by accessing various buttons/functions.
• Cookies provide site owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are used by users, so that they can make them more efficient or more accessible to users.
• Allow multimedia or other applications from other sites to be included (inserted/embed) in certain pages to create a more valuable, useful and enjoyable browsing experience.

What is a "cookie"?

An "Internet Cookie" (term also known as "browser cookie" or "HTTP cookie" or simply "cookie") is a small file that contains letters and numbers and that will be stored on the computer, mobile terminal or other equipment of a user from which he accessed a site. The cookie is sent through a request issued by the web server on which the site is hosted to the user's browser (Ex: Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, etc.) and is completely "passive", i.e. it does not contain programs software, viruses or spyware, nor can it access information on the user's hard drive. A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie and is uniquely associated with the domain on which the site that sent it to the user's browser is hosted (eg: https://gama-optic.ro/). Moreover, the duration of existence of a cookie is determined and only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again, and only when the user returns to the site associated with the respective web server. Cookies will not require personal information to be used, nor can they personally identify Internet users. There are two main categories of cookies:

• Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the cookie folder of the web browser until the user leaves the respective site or closes the browser window.
• Persistent cookies – these are stored on the computer or the equipment used on the hard drive for a longer period and remain stored even after leaving the site or after closing the web browser (and generally depend on the lifetime of the cookie).

Persistent cookies also include those placed by a website other than the one the user is visiting at the time - known as "third party cookies" - which can be used anonymously to remember a user's interests so that advertising is delivered as relevant as possible to that user.

Advantages of cookies

A cookie contains information that connects a browser (the user) and a specific web server (the website). If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the information already stored and react accordingly. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many sites to provide comfortable services to users. Examples – online privacy preferences, website language options or relevant advertising, etc.

Lifetime of a cookie

Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifetime of a cookie can vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session ("session cookies") and are not retained after the user leaves the site, while other cookies are retained and reused every time the user returns to that site ( "permanent cookies"). However, cookies can be deleted by the user at any time through the browser settings.

Cookies placed by third parties

Certain sections of content on some sites may be provided through third parties/providers (Ex: news box, a video or an advertisement). These third parties can also place cookies through the site and they are called "third party cookies", because they are not placed by the respective site. Third party providers must also comply with applicable law and the privacy policies of the site owner.

Use of cookies by this site

Visiting this website may place cookies with the following purposes:

• Website performance cookies
• Visitor analysis cookies
• Registration or authentication cookies
• Third party cookies

Performance cookies This type of cookie will remember the user's preferences on this site, so that there is no need to set them on each visit to the site. Visitor analysis cookies Each time a user visits this site, the analytics software provided by a third party generates a user analysis cookie. This cookie will inform us if you have visited this site before. The browser checks if this cookie exists, and if not, one is generated. This allows monitoring of unique users who visit the site and how often they do so. This cookie cannot be used to identify individuals, they are used only for statistical purposes. Cookies for registration or authentication When you register or log in to this site, a cookie will be generated that lets us know if you are registered or not. Our server uses these cookies to identify the account with which you are registered and if you have the necessary permissions for a certain service or for access to certain sections of the site. It will also allow the association of the comments you post on the site with your account username. If you have not selected "keep me logged in", this cookie will be automatically deleted when you close your browser or computer. Third party cookies On some pages, third parties can set their own anonymous cookies, in order to track the success of an advertisement/application or to customize an application. Due to the way of use, this site cannot access these cookies, just as third parties cannot access the cookies owned by this site.

Online advertising belonging to third parties

Some of these use their own anonymous cookies to analyze how many people have viewed an advertising message, or to see how many people have repeatedly viewed a certain advertisement. The companies that generate these cookies have their own privacy policies, and this site does not have access to these cookies. Third-party cookies are used to show you targeted advertising on other sites as well, based on your browsing on this site and implicitly your preferences.

The type of information stored and accessed through cookies

Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server will recognize the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted. The cookie stores important information that improves the Internet browsing experience. Ex: the settings regarding the language in which you want to access a site, keeping a user logged in to the member account or email account, online security, keeping and memorizing some settings, etc.

The importance of cookies for the Internet

Cookies are the central point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience, adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Rejecting or disabling cookies may make some sites unusable. Rejecting or deactivating cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising, but only that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests highlighted by previous browsing behavior. Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require the authentication of a user in a specific account):

• Content and services adapted to user preferences – categories of news, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites and travel services.
• Offers tailored to the interests of users – password retention, language preferences (Ex: display of search results in Romanian).
• Retention of child protection filters regarding Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions).
• Advertising frequency limitation – limiting the number of ad displays for a specific user on a site.
• Providing relevant advertising to the user.
• Measurement, optimization and analytics features - such as confirmation of a certain level of traffic on a site, what type of content is viewed more and how a user reaches the site (eg: through search engines, directly, from other sites- uri etc). The sites run these analyzes of their use in order to improve the sites for the benefit of the user.

Remarketing policy

In the website pages https://gama-optic.ro/, through a remarketing tag and a conversion code, received from Google AdWords, cookies are collected (a number that uniquely identifies a web browser on a specific computer, not a person). The Google remarketing tag collects cookies in order to display ads on the websites of the Google Display network and in Google Search. When users visit a page of the website that contains the remarketing tag, the cookie of the browser they are using is added to a list for remarketing. A remarketing list is a set of user cookies generated by one or more remarketing tags. Google AdWords uses cookies to display sponsored ads on the websites of the Google Display network and in Google Search to users who have visited the website pages https://gama-optic.ro/ If you do not agree with the use of cookies by Google, deactivation can be done through the Ads Preferences Manager.

Security and privacy issues

Cookies should NOT be confused with viruses! They use a plain text format. They are not made up of pieces of code, so they cannot be executed or auto-run. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other networks to run or replicate again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. Cookies can still be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about users' preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and across multiple sites, cookies can be used as a form of spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and constantly mark cookies for deletion during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures. In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the user has visited a certain site.

Other security aspects related to cookies.

Given that identity protection is very important and represents the right of every internet user, it is advisable to know what are the possible problems that may arise in connection with cookies. Since through them information is constantly transmitted in both directions between the browser and the site, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes during data transmission, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted. Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (Ex: an unsecured Wi-Fi network). Other cookie-based attacks involve missetting cookies on servers. If a site does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information over unsecured channels. The attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain sites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most suitable method of personal information protection.

Tips for safe and responsible browsing, based on cookies.

Due to their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and largest sites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Deactivating cookies will not allow the user access to the most widespread and used sites including YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo, Google and many others. A few tips that can ensure you surf without worries with the help of cookies:

• Customize your browser settings regarding cookies to establish a comfortable level of security.
• If you don't mind cookies and you are the only person using the computer, you can set long expiration periods for storing browsing history and personal access data.
• If you share access to the computer, you can consider setting your browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close the browser, is the option to access sites that place cookies and delete any visit information when you close the session navigation.
• Always install and update your antispyware applications.

Many of the applications for detecting and preventing spyware include detection of attacks from websites. Thus, it prevents the browser from accessing sites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software. Make sure your browser is always up-to-date. Many of the attacks based on cookies are carried out by exploiting the weak points of some old versions of browsers. Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest sites on the Internet, local or international. With a clear understanding of how they work and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so that you can surf the Internet with confidence.

Deactivation of cookies

Disabling and refusing to receive cookies may make certain websites impractical or difficult to visit and use. Also, refusing to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive or see online advertising. You can make settings in your browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted or you can set your browser to accept cookies only from a specific site. But, for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments. All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in your browser's "Options" or "Preferences" menu, or you can use your browser's "Help" option for more details. To understand these settings, the following links may be useful, otherwise you can use the "help" option of your browser for more details. Cookie settings in Internet Explorer Cookie settings in Firefox Cookie settings in Chrome Cookie settings in Safari

Useful Links

IAB Romania provides you with the following website to learn more about privacy related to online advertising: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/ If you want to know more information about cookies and their use, you can access the official website of the European Union regarding cookies at: http://ec.europa.eu/cookies/index_en.htm