Cookies Policy

1.General provisions

The information presented in this Policy regarding the use of cookies and similar technologies (“Policy“) is intended to bring to your notice, as a user of this website, more details about the placement, use and administration of cookies and technologies (collectively “Cookies”) through this website. There are also some useful links related to cookies. If you need more information, and it is not found below, you can contact us at dpo@afi.global.

This website is operated by AFI PALACE BRASOV S.R.L, a company headquartered in Romania, Blvd Vasile Milea, no. 4E, et. 2, room 13, Sector 6, Bucharest, registered at the Trade Register under no. J40 / 7377/2015, unique registration code RO 34664267 (hereinafter referred to as “Operator”, “we”, “AFI Brasov”).

This Policy contains information about Cookies that allow you to understand how they work and how we use them. Regarding the way we process personal data that we collect with the help of cookies, please analyze the General Information Policy for data subjects regarding the processing of personal data available at (“Personal Data Processing Policy” ). This Policy and the Personal Data Processing Policy are complementary documents and we recommend that you analyze them together.

2.What is a “Cookie”?

A cookie (also known as a “browser cookie” or “HTTP cookie” or simply a “cookie”) is a small file, consisting of letters and numbers, that is stored on a computer, mobile terminal or other equipment of a user from whom the Internet is accessed. The cookie is installed by the request issued by a web server to a web browser (eg Internet Explorer, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox) and is completely “passive” (does not contain software, viruses or spyware and can not access on the user’s hard drive).

A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and content or value of the cookie. The duration of the existence of a Cookie is determined; technically, only the webserver that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the web site associated with that web server.

Thus, cookies store information in a small text file, which allows a web server to recognize a web browser. The web server will recognize the web browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.

You can distinguish between the following categories of cookies:

• Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the cookies folder of the web browser so that it can store them until the user leaves the respective web site or closes the web browser window ( ex: when logging in / logging out of a webmail account or on social networks).
• Persistent cookies – these are stored on the hard drive of a computer or equipment (and generally depend on the default lifespan for a cookie). Persistent cookies also include those placed by a website other than the one the user is currently visiting – known as ‘third party cookies’, which can be used to memorize the interests of a user, so that, for example, the most relevant advertising for the users is delivered.

It can also be distinguished between:

• Essential cookies are required for the website to work and, for example, allow a visitor to remain logged in to their account.
• Performance cookies (non-essential) contribute to improving the accessibility of a website, providing a better user browsing experience.

2.Why are cookies important?

As it results from the above, Cookies make it possible, among other things, to recognize the user’s terminal. Through this, Cookies represent the central point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience and adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Declining or disabling cookies may make some websites impossible to use. This 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 browsing behavior.

We, therefore, use Cookies to improve the use and functionality of this website and to better understand how users use this website and the services offered by it. Thus, Cookies facilitate the personalization or improvement of your experience as a user of this website.

Examples of important uses of Cookies (which do not require user authentication through an account):

• Content and services adapted to the user’s preferences – categories of news, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites and travel services, running multimedia or other applications on other sites (thus create a more efficient and enjoyable browsing experience);
• Offers adapted to users’ interests – password retention, language preferences (For example: displaying search results in Romanian);
• Maintaining the settings regarding the currency in which you want to display the prices.
• Keeping products in the shopping cart;
• Retention of child protection filters regarding Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions);
• Limiting the frequency of advertising – limiting the number of impressions of an advertisement for a certain user on a site;
• Providing more relevant advertising for the user;
• Measurement, optimization and analytics features, such as confirmation of a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed and how a user reaches a website (for example: through search engines, directly, from other websites etc). These usage analyzes are performed to improve websites for the benefit of users.

4.What are third-party cookies?

Certain sections of content on some web-sites may be provided through third parties (eg news box, video or advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the websites in question, which is why they are called cookies placed by third parties. Those third parties must themselves comply with the law in force on Cookies.

In the case of this website, the cookies placed by third parties may come from the following entities: Google Analytics, Facebook, Google+, etc. The full list of third-party cookies can be found below in Section 7. What cookies do we use?

Also, on this website there are links to third-party web-sites; once accessed these links, users are subject to the policy of that website, and the Operator has no responsibility for the user’s experience on the website in question.

5.What is the lifetime of a cookie?

The lifetime of a cookie can vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is used. Some Cookies are used exclusively for a single session (Session Cookies) and are no longer retained once the user has left the website. Other Cookies are retained and reused each time the user returns to that website (Persistent Cookies). For more details on the lifetime of Cookies, see below Section 7. What cookies do we use?

Also, Cookies can be deleted by a user at any time via web browser settings (more details in Section 11. How can I stop Cookies?).

6.Personal data included in Cookies

Cookies themselves do not require personal information in order to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users. However, there are situations when personal data can be collected through the use of cookies to facilitate certain functionalities for the user or to offer the user a more tailored experience to his preferences.

Personal data related to Cookies are processed mainly for purposes such as (i) marketing activities (other than electronic commercial communications) including advertising, promotion of the activities, image, trade name and trademarks of the Operator; (ii) market research, statistics; (iii) analysis of customer activities / behavior in interaction with the Operator; (iv) website administration; (v) managing user accounts opened on a web-site or application over which the Operator has a right; (vi) creating profiles as described in this Policy, including through “cookie” technology as well as for other purposes such as (vii) legal protection of the Operator (viii) performance of financial, fiscal and accounting activities (including in case of collaboration with external collaborators for performing external audits); (ix) development or reorganization operations, including via mergers with other entities, acquisition of other entities, divisions, transfers of assets or assets; (x) ensuring, implementing and developing relations between affiliates within the AFI Europe group (including reporting, collaborations, creation of cost centers).

The way in which it operates the personal data, including those resulting from the Cookie placement, is described in the Personal Data Processing Policy.

7.What cookies do we use?

The table below describes each cookie used on this website, including the role and duration of storage.

The cookies placed on this web-site correspond to the following (sub) categories:

7.1. Performance cookies

This type of cookie retains the user’s preferences on this website, so there is no need to set them each time you visit the website. For example, the volume settings for the video player, the video streaming speed that the web browser is compatible with.

7.2. Cookies for visitor analysis

Each time a user visits this website, the analytics software provided by a third party generates a user analysis cookie. This cookie tells us if you have visited this website before. The web browser will tell us if you have this cookie, and if not, we will generate one.

This Cookie allows the monitoring of the unique users who visit us and how often they do it. As long as you are not registered on this web-site, this Cookie cannot be used to identify individuals, it is used only for statistical purposes. If you are registered on this website we may also know the details you have provided to us, such as your e-mail address and username, these being subject to the confidentiality and provisions of the Personal Data Processing Policy.

7.3. Geo-targeting cookies

These cookies are used by software that determines which country you come from. This Cookie does not collect other information and is used only to personalize the content of our website.

7.4. Cookies for registration

When you register on this website, we generate a Cookie that notifies us if you are registered or not. Our servers use these Cookies to show us the account from which you are registered and if you have permission for a specific service. Also, such Cookie allows us to associate any comment you post on our website with your username. If you have not selected the “Keep me registered” option, this cookie will be deleted automatically when you close your web browser or computer, mobile phone, etc.

7.5. Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to find out whether or not you have viewed an online advertisement, what its type is and how long it has been since you saw the advertising message. We also use these cookies to target online advertising. We may also use third-party cookies for better use of advertising to show, for example, holiday advertisements, if the user has recently visited an article on the holiday website. These Cookies directly store information about the content viewed, not about users. We also set Cookies through other sites that we have advertisements that we can use to recognize you as a visitor to that web-site, if you later visit our website, we will be able to deliver advertising based on this information.

7.6. Advertising provider cookies

Much of the advertising you find on this website belong to third parties. Some of these parties use their own cookies to analyze how many people have been exposed to an advertisement or to see how many people have been exposed to the same advertisement several times. The entities that generate these Cookies have their own policies for the use of Cookies and their own policies regarding the processing of personal data, and we do not have access to the implementation of these Cookies by third parties. Third-party cookies may be used to show you certain advertisements on other websites, based on your browsing on this website.

7.7. Other Third Party Cookies

On other web pages, third parties may set their own cookies in order to track the success of an application or to personalize an application. Due to the use of this website, this website cannot access these cookies.

Third parties may access cookies used by this website. For example, when you distribute an article using the social media button on this site, that social network will record your activity. The detailed list of all cookies used by www.afibrasov.ro in its own name and on behalf of third parties is included in the table above.

7.8. Cookie for the registration of the agreement in view of the use of Cookies

In order to register the information regarding the expression of the agreement for accepting the use of Cookies / some Cookies (those that are not essential), we will use a dedicated Cookie. Thus, the first time you access our website, you will receive a message that provides brief information about the use of cookies and how to accept them. A Cookie will be stored on your device which will remember that you have seen the message and that you have agreed to the use of Cookies / certain Cookies.

8.Giving consent to the use of non-essential cookies

By accessing this web-site, you have had the opportunity to give your consent to the use of certain categories of cookies. Some categories of cookies are essential for the operation of websites and you cannot choose to deactivate them, while other categories of cookies have different utilities and you can choose whether or not to use them. Accepting the latter categories of Cookies will offer you an experience adapted to your preferences, much improved compared to the standard one. However, you can, at any time, withdraw your consent to the options mentioned in Section 11. How can I stop cookies?

9.Security and confidentiality

Cookies are not viruses! They use plain text formats. Cookies are not made up of pieces of code so they cannot be executed, nor can they auto-run. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other networks to run or replicate again. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. However, some cookies may be used for negative purposes. Because it stores information about users’ preferences and browsing history, both on a particular web site and on several other web sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are made to contract this fact and constantly mark Cookies to be deleted during deletion / virus-scanning / anti-spyware procedures.

In general, web browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of acceptance of cookies, validity period and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular web-site.

10.Other security issues related to Cookies

Because identity protection is very valuable and represents the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to know what possible problems cookies can create. Because through them information is constantly transmitted in both directions between the web-browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes during the transmission of data, the information contained in the cookie may be intercepted.

Although very rare, this can happen if the web browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network, such as an unsecured Wi-Fi network.

Other cookie-based attacks involve incorrect cookie settings on web servers. If a web site does not require the web browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick web browsers into sending information through unsecured channels. Attackers then use the information for the purpose of unauthorized access to certain websites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most appropriate method of personal information protection.

When using the Internet and interacting with cookies, you may want to consider the following:

• Customize the web browser settings regarding Cookies to reflect a comfortable level of security of the use of Cookies;
• If you do not mind cookies and you are the only person who uses the computer, you can set long expiration dates for storing your browsing history and personal access data;
• If you share access to your computer, you can consider setting your web browser to clear individual browsing data each time you close your web browser. This is a way to access the websites that place cookies and to delete any visit information at the end of the browsing session;
• Install and constantly update antispyware and anti-virus applications;
• Many of the spyware detection and prevention applications include detecting attacks on websites. Thus, they can prevent the web browser from accessing web sites that could exploit its vulnerabilities or download malicious software. Make sure your web browser is always up to date. Many of the cookies-based attacks are exploited by exploiting the weaknesses of older versions of web browsers.

11. How can I stop cookies?

11.1. Through web browser settings

In general, current web browsers offer users the ability to change and manage settings for the use of cookies. For example, depending on the web browser, there are settings that allow the automatic management of cookies (eg blocking them) by the web browser or that informs the user every time the cookies are sent to his terminal. You can access these settings from the menu of the web browser you are using. For more details on the management of cookies in your web browser you can access the “Help” section of your web browser or one of the links below (depending on the web browser used):

1. Internet Explorer – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442
2. Mozilla Firefox –https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-cookies-and-site-data-firefox#w_clear-cookies-for-the-current-website
3. Google Chrome – https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en_US
4. Safari – https://support.apple.com/kb/PH19214?viewlocale=ro_RO&locale=en_Us

There are other web browsers. To find out the settings related to other web browsers, you can access the web site of the developer of that web browser.

11.2. Through the cookie management mechanism within this website

This website includes a mechanism for managing non-essential cookies, and if you have agreed to the use of cookies, you may withdraw this agreement or adjust it through this mechanism.

You can access the cookie management mechanism here.

11.3. Other measures

You can also use third-party cookie blocking plug-ins, such as UBlock, Ghostery, AdBlock, PrivacyBadger.

12.Modification of the Cookie Use Policy

This Policy was updated on 15.10.2020. If it is necessary to periodically review the Policy, the new form will take the place of the previous form. Therefore, we recommend that you follow the changes in this Policy.