Please read the following information carefully:

To comply with the requirements set out in the EU Directive of May 26, 2012, and the provisions of Law no. 109 of May 24, 2019, on the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector, all website visitors are asked for their consent before cookies are sent to their computers.

This website uses its own and third-party cookies to provide visitors with a much better Browse experience and services tailored to each individual’s needs and interests.

Cookies play an important role in facilitating access and delivery of the many services that users enjoy on the internet, such as:

Personalizing certain settings such as: the language in which a site is viewed, accessing old preferences by pressing the “back” and “forward” buttons.
Cookies provide site owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are used by users, so that they can make them even more efficient and accessible to users.
They allow multimedia or other applications from other sites to be included on a specific site to create a more valuable, useful, and pleasant Browse experience.

What is a “cookie”?

An “Internet Cookie” (a term also known as a “browser cookie” or “HTTP cookie” or simply a “cookie”) is a small file, consisting of letters and numbers, which will be stored on a user’s computer, mobile terminal, or other equipment from which the Internet is accessed.

The cookie is installed by a request issued by a web server to a browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (it does not contain software programs, viruses, or spyware and cannot access information on the user’s hard drive).¹

A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Furthermore, the lifetime of a cookie is determined; technically, o²nly the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server.³

Cookies themselves do not request personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users.⁴

Th⁵ere are 2 main categories of cookies:

Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the browser’s cookie folder for it to remember them until the user leaves the website or closes the browser window (e.g., when logging in/out of a webmail account or social networks).
Persistent cookies – these are stored on a computer’s or device’s hard drive (and generally depend on the preset lifetime for 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 that is as relevant as possible is delivered to users.

What are the advantages of cookies?

A cookie contains information that links a web 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 Browse experience and support the efforts of many websites to offer comfortable services to users: e.g. – preferences for online privacy, site language options, shopping carts, or relevant advertising.

What is the 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 no longer retained once the user has left the website, while some cookies are retained and reused every time the user returns to that website (permanent cookies). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time through the browser settings.

What are third-party cookies?

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

How are cookies used by a site?

A visit to a website can place cookies for:

improving website performance;
analyzing visitors;
geotargeting;
user registration.

Performance cookies

This type of cookie remembers the user’s preferences on this site, so there is no need to set them on each visit to the site.

Examples: volume settings for a video player, video streaming speed compatible with the browser.

Visitor analysis cookies

Every time a user visits a site, the analytics software provided by a third party generates a user analysis cookie. This cookie tells if you have visited this site before. The browser will signal if you have this cookie, and if not, one will be generated. This allo⁶ws monitoring of unique users who visit the site and how often they do so.

As long as the visitor is not registered on the site, this cookie cannot be used to identify individuals; it is used for statistical purposes only. If they are registered, the details provided, such as email address and username, can also be known – these are subject to confidentiality, in accordance with the provisions of current legislation on personal data protection.

Geotargeting cookies

These cookies are used by software that determines what country you are from. It is completely anonymous and is used only to target content – even when the visitor is on the page in Romanian or another language, they will receive the same advertisement.

Registration cookies

When you register on a site, a cookie is generated that announces whether you are registered or not. Servers use these cookies to show which account you are registered with and if you have permission for a specific service. It also allows any comment posted on the site to be associated with your username. If you have not selected “keep me logged in,” this cookie will be automatically deleted when you close the browser or computer.

Other third-party cookies

On some pages, third parties may set their own anonymous cookies, in order to track the success of an application or to customize an application.

For example, when you share an article using the social network button on a site, that social network will record your activity.⁷

What kind of information is stored and accessed through cookies?⁸

Cookies store information in a small text file ⁹that 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 Browse experience (e.g., the language settings in which a site is to be accessed; keeping a user logged in to their webmail account; online banking security; keeping products in a shopping cart).

Why are cookies important for the Internet?

Cookies are the central point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly Browse experience tailored to the preferences and interests of each user. Refusing or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use.

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

Content and services adapted to user preferences – news categories, weather, sports, maps, public and governmental services, entertainment sites, and travel services.
Offers tailored to users’ interests – remembering passwords, language preferences (e.g., displaying search results in Romanian).
Remembering child protection filters for Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions).
Measurement, optimization, and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed, and how a user gets to a website (e.g., through search engines, directly, from other websites). Websites perform these analyses of their usage to improve the sites for the benefit of users.

Security and privacy issues

Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code, so they cannot be executed, nor can they auto-execute. Consequently, they cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks to run or replicate again. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.

However, cookies can be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about the preferences and Browse history of users, both on a specific site and on many other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this and constantly mark cookies to be deleted during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures.¹⁰

In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels ¹¹of cookie acceptance, validity period, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a specific site.

Tips for safe and responsible Browse based on cookies.

Customize your browser’s cookie settings to reflect a comfortable level of cookie security for you.
If you share access to a computer, you can consider setting your browser to delete individual Browse data every time you close the browser. This is an option to access sites that place cookies and delete any visit information when the Browse session is closed.
Install and constantly update anti-spyware applications.
Many spyware detection and prevention applications include detecting attacks on sites. This prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software.

How can I stop cookies?

Disabling and refusing to accept cookies can make certain sites impractical or difficult to visit and use.

It is possible to set the browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted or to set the browser to accept cookies from a specific site. But, for example, if a visitor is not registered using cookies, they will not be able to leave comments.

All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the browser’s Options / Settings menu or in the Preferences / Favorites menu.

To understand these settings, the following links may be helpful:

Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari