Cookies are used to track usage of websites and to improve the user experience.
When you visit Abacus Language Services or any of our associated websites or digital applications (our platforms), you are agreeing to consent to allow us and our associated third parties (if any) to store and retrieve cookies, IP addresses and to utilise user tracking technologies which permit us to operate platform functionality, collect aggregate data relating to website use so that we have information to permit us to enhance user’s online experience, such as managing and delivering geographically specific advertising, services and communications to our customers. If you choose to not allow us to enable cookies, you have the means to disable cookies, but this may adversely affect the way you can interact with our platform/s. The following sections outline what cookies are, how our tracking technology works and why we may find it necessary and desirable to use them.
Cookies are small files placed by platforms on your browser to enable the website or digital platform owner to differentiate your behaviour from that of other website or platform users. If your browser’s preferences enable it, each platform can potentially place its cookies on your device. However as a privacy protection measure your browser will only permit a platform to access its own cookies which they placed, rather than other websites’ or platforms’ cookies. Consequently if we place cookies at all, Abacus Language Services will only access the cookies we are permitted to place on your browser, rather than other platform’s cookies.
Abacus Language Services’ platform may utilise different cookie types – Session cookies, Persistent cookies, First party cookies and Third party cookies. We retain the option of using Session cookies which last during a single duration of platform use. We retain the option of using Persistent cookies for a period extending beyond your visit to our platform. Other cookies which we also retain the right to use include First party cookies which, if used are ones which our platform has set up, while Third party cookies are those placed by our affiliates or third parties associated to us.
Abacus Language Services’ cookies are used for different functions. Some serve to provide a seamless service when using any service on our platform. When you do not complete a transaction, cookies allow us to prompt you to complete it or to provide assistance. Other cookies serve to identify you geographically so we can enable you to see platform information we think may be most relevant for you (such as local language, currency etc). Cookies also help us to secure and verify your use of our services for transaction purposes. Below we provide a deeper explanation of potential cookie types we may use and which we may send to your browser.
Without these cookies our platform’s operations are impaired. Such cookies enable you to access any areas of our platform which may be secure or they may be necessary to complete a transaction or payment. If your browser has disabled Essential cookies it may be potentially not possible to complete such transactions. Your access to our platforms may be restricted or impaired.
These cookies are to track the performance of Abacus Language Services’ platform. By allowing us to see how visitors interact with our platform we are able to see what we are doing right or doing wrong, and make changes accordingly. Abacus Language Services’ platform may employ third party analytic providers’ services for this (such as Google Analytics).
If we use this type of cookie at all they are cookies which are designed to improve the user experience. These cookies recognise return visitors to our platforms and potentially enable us to personalise content for you, such as by greeting you and displaying any preferences which may exist, such as your preferred language or geographical region. They may also enable us to recognise incomplete transactions so that we may potentially offer further assistance or time to complete transactions.
These cookies provide data on your visit to our platform by recording which pages you visited and they record any actions users may make. If we have third party advertising, for example, this enables us to target products appropriately. Potentially we may share your browser’s data history recording interaction with our platform with third party advertisers. Additionally we may potentially use third party cookies to personalise advertising and analyse user interaction with our platform. Third parties who Abacus Language Services may advertise with may provide anonymous cookies on other platforms so these cookies enable us to identify users as arriving on our platform from theirs. Potentially we may then be able to personalise Abacus Language Services’ advertising based on the data from these cookies.
Abacus Language Services may potentially use Flash Local Storage Objects which enable us to potentially store user’s platform preferences while allowing us to personalise visits. Flash LSOs differ from browser cookies owing to the type and amount of data they store. Most users are unable to control, disable or delete Flash LSO acceptance on web browsers. More information about Flash LSOs can be found on Adobe Flash Player’s Help page. By selecting “Global Storage Settings Panel” then following the instructions you can see your computer’s Flash LSO profile. By selecting “Website Storage Settings Panel” and following the instructions you can see your computer’s current Flash LSOs, where you have options to select and delete any desired Flash LSO.
Cookie settings can be changed on most browsers. Users can enable their browsers or devices to accept or reject all cookies, notify you when cookies are issued or you can block the receipt of new cookies entirely. Blocking cookies impairs the functions of not only Abacus Language Services’ platform, but potentially all other sites which use cookies. This is likely to prevent the full use of many platform features. As each browser is unique, you will need to check your browser’s ‘help’, ‘options’ and ‘preference’ menus to learn how to personalise your cookie preferences.
Baidu
Chrome
Firefox
Internet Explorer
iOS
Opera
Safari
Yandex
More browser cookie information can be found here, including how to delete cookies:
As Abacus Language Services’ website and platform maintain a strictly limited cookie policy, we don’t recommend de-activating cookies or deleting them. Turning cookies off results in us losing tracking data which results in us losing any potential revenue from any affiliates, such as advertisers, as well as making some functions of our platform potentially inoperable, or having a reduced functionality. Additionally de-activating cookies means we may potentially be unable to recognise you, your language settings, your geographic location, preferred currency or other features.
Within the EU, users can visit YourOnlineChoices.eu to discover how you can limit advertiser cookie data by managing third party cookie preferences. For example you can see all data which Google may have collected on you by accessing myactivity.google.com.
Users accessing ours (or any) platform under the jurisdiction of the USA are provided with an opt-out provision for many advertising networks which belong to the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA). To learn more about choices available to you users may visit their websites’ specific pages:
NAI www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp
By opting out from these advertising networks, it does not necessarily mean online advertisements are not visible, but it may mean these advertising networks pledge to cease delivering targeted content to users. Interest based advertising from other advertisers is potentially still likely to be visible, but not ones from companies or organisations which the user has specifically opted out of, in accordance with these advertising network’s policies. The NAI and DAA are essentially voluntary self-regulating bodies attempting to promote Online Behavioural Advertising standards, which non-members are not obliged to follow. Consequently generic advertising is likely to remain visible on your browser based on multiple access to various sites. When users choose to opt out of these advertiser’s networks it does not also opt user’s out of other data collection cookies, or other features described in our Privacy Policy.
Technologies which Abacus Language Services may potentially use include Pixel tag files which are clear images (also known as web beacons or web bugs), together with similar technologies embedded in email communication in connection to our platform. These tiny graphic files contain unique identifiers comparable to cookies. Unlike cookies, Pixel tags are not stored on a user’s computer hard drive, but are clear images invisibly embedded on emails and web pages. If we use Pixel tags at all, it is amongst other things for the purpose of tracking the behaviour of platform users which allow us to collect statistical data and design improved content to enhance platform functionality and usability. Potentially we and our third party service providers may additionally use Pixel tags in customer HTML email communication. These enable us to track rates of email response, show us when emails are viewed and provide data on the forwarding of our emails.
Abacus Language Services potentially uses third party provided aggregated statistical data recording user interaction with our platform spanning multiple devices i.e. laptops, mobile phone or tablets. These essentially record Log in information to the third party’s services from multiple devices. This statistical data gives us an insight into how potential customers interact with us across multiple devices and may highlight areas of improvement for us. Additionally this data may enable us to personalise services or advertising according to specific devices.
Other aggregated data supplied to us by third party digital platforms includes demographic information (i.e. gender and age), user interests (particularly travel and shopping interests) and other information which the third parties collect from the same user’s interaction with other websites and platforms. Understanding our user’s interests and behaviours may potentially help us to improve our platform. We are typically unable to de-aggregate data to identify specific users or identify individual interests or demographics.
Abacus Language Services’ various websites and platforms use Google Analytics which is a web analytics service available from Google. Google Analytics use text file cookies which they place on your computer to help them understand how user’s interact with specific websites and platforms, including ours. Data generated by Google’s cookies relate to a user’s interaction with a website or platform including collecting the user’s IP address. Data is transmitted and stored on Google servers located in the US. Where users are able and have activated IP anonymization, Google claims it truncates/anonymizes the IP address’s last octet for users within the European Union and other users in countries who are signatories of this Agreement such as within the European Economic Area. However there are exceptions where the full IP address may be sent to, then shortened by Google’s US based servers. Google analyses collected user data to evaluate the user’s website or platform behaviour. This data is incorporated into reports on user activity and provided to platform operators, including Abacus Language Services. Google Analytics’ reports Google claims to not associate user IP address information with any other data retained by them. Users may refuse to use cookies according to the browser’s instructions, which were explained earlier. Disabling cookies will typically prevent a user from accessing a website’s full functions. Additionally users can potentially block Google’s data collection and use through cookies and IP address collection, by downloading then installing Google’s browser plug-in at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/. Google’s terms and conditions of use, and data privacy information can be found here http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html and here at https://www.google.de/intl/en_uk/policies/.