Click here for Cookie Policy effective before December 1, 2014.

Effective Date: February 2, 2015

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed onto your computer or device as you browse the Internet. Cookies can be used to collect, store and share bits of information about your activities across websites, including on ASKfm. They also allow us to remember things about your visit to ASKfm, such as your preferred language and other choices/settings and generally make the site easier for you to use.

ASKfm uses both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie is used to identify a particular visit to our site. These cookies expire after a short time, or when you close your web browser after using our services. We use these cookies to identify you during a single browsing session, such as when you log into ASKfm. A persistent cookie will remain on your devices for a set period of time specified in the cookie. We use these cookies where we need to identify you over a longer period of time. For example, we would use a persistent cookie if you asked that we keep you signed in.

Why does ASKfm use cookies and similar technologies?

ASKfm uses cookies and similar technologies, such as web beacons or pixel tags, to deliver, measure, and improve our services in various ways.

We use cookies for the following purposes:

1. Authentication and security:

• To log you into ASKfm;

• To protect your security; and

• To help us detect and fight spam, abuse, and other activities that violate ASKfm’s Terms of Use.

For example, these technologies help authenticate your access to ASKfm and prevent unauthorised parties from accessing your account. They also let us show you appropriate content through our services.

2. Preferences:

• To remember information about your browser and your preferences; and

• To remember your settings and other choices you have made.

For example, cookies help us remember your preferred language or the country that you are in. We can then provide you with ASKfm content in your preferred language without having to ask you each time you visit ASKfm.

3. Analytics and research:

• To help us improve and understand how people use our services.

For example, cookies help us test different versions of our services to see which particular features or content users prefer. We may include web beacons in e-mail messages or newsletters to determine whether the message has been opened and for other analytics. We might also optimise and improve your experience on ASKfm by using cookies to see how you interact with our services, such as when and how often you use them and what links you click on.

To help us better understand how people use our services, we work with a number of analytics partners, including Google Analytics, Quantcast and Scorecard. To find out more about their cookies and the privacy choices they offer, please visit the following links: Google Analytics, Quantcast and ScoreCard.

4. Personalised content:

• To customise our services with more relevant content.

5. Advertising:

• To provide you with more relevant advertising.

As explained further in our Privacy Policy, third-parties whose products or services are accessible or advertised via the services may use cookies to collect information about your activities on the services, other sites, and/or the ads you have clicked on. This information may be used by them to serve ads that they believe are most likely to be of interest to you and measure the effectiveness of their ads. Targeting and advertising cookies on the services may include DoubleClick, Criteo, and other advertising networks and services we use from time to time.

For more information about targeting and advertising cookies and how you can opt out, you can visit http://youronlinechoices.eu/ or allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies/index.html. Please note that to the extent advertising technology is integrated into ASKfm, you may still receive advertisements even if you opt-out of tailored advertising. In that case, the ads will just not be tailored to your interests.

When accessing ASKfm from a mobile application you may also receive tailored in-application advertisements. Each operating system: iOS, Android and Windows Phone provides its own instructions on how to prevent the delivery of tailored in-application advertisements. You may review the support materials and/or the privacy settings for the respective operating systems in order to opt-out of tailored in-application advertisements. For any other devices and/or operating systems, please visit the privacy settings for the applicable device or operating system or contact the applicable platform operator.

Where are cookies and similar technologies used?

ASKfm uses these technologies on our websites, apps and services.

We don't release the information collected from our own cookies to any third parties, other than to our service providers who assist us in providing the services.

What are my privacy options?

You have a number of options to control or limit how ASKfm and our partners use cookies.

When you first access the site, it will let you know that we use cookies – by continuing to use or access the site, you are consenting to our use of cookies and related technologies as described in this policy.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser setting to limit or decline cookies by visiting your browser’s help page. If you choose to decline cookies, please note that you may not be able to sign in, customize, or use some features of the Services.

For general information about cookies and how to disable them, please visit allaboutcookies.org/.

Do Not Track Disclosure

We are committed to providing you with meaningful choices about the information collected on our services for third party purposes, and that is why we provide the above opt-out links. However, we do not currently recognize or respond to browser-initiated Do Not Track signals, as the internet industry is still working on Do Not Track standards, implementations and solutions.

Changes to this Policy

We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on the Services with a new effective date. If we make a material change to our Cookie Policy, we will take reasonable steps to notify you in advance of the planned change.

Questions

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please click here.