The Eye Care Advocate: Cookie Policy

Last Updated: 31st May 2025

1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy outlines how http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk (referred to as “this website,” “the site”) utilises cookies and similar technologies. The purpose of this document is to provide clear and comprehensive information to visitors (“users,” “you”) about the nature of these technologies, the specific types deployed on this website, the reasons for their use, and the mechanisms available for users to manage their preferences concerning them.

This website is committed to ensuring transparency in its data processing activities and to safeguarding the privacy of its users. This commitment is upheld in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, notably the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

This Cookie Policy is designed to be read in conjunction with the main Privacy Policy for http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk, which can be accessed at: https://theeyecareadvocate.co.uk/wpautoterms/privacy-policy/.

The Privacy Policy provides broader details on how personal data is collected, used, stored, and protected, as well as comprehensive information regarding user rights.

The Eye Care Advocate serves as a dedicated resource for information pertaining to eye health. It aims to educate and inform a diverse audience, which includes optometry students, qualified eye care professionals, and members of the general public seeking to understand more about eye care. The operation of this website and the provision of its resources necessitate the use of cookies as detailed herein.

The professional standing of the website’s founder, an experienced optometrist, underscores the commitment to ethical practices, extending from the provision of eye care information to the responsible handling of user data. Recognising that the audience includes individuals with varying levels of technical understanding, this policy endeavors to explain complex terms in a straightforward manner, ensuring accessibility for all users.

2. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on a user’s device, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet, when they visit a website. These files enable the website to remember information about the visit, such as user preferences, login details, or items in a shopping cart, and can also be used to collect data about how users interact with the site.

Cookies can be categorised based on their lifespan and their origin:

Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that exist only for the duration of a user’s visit to a website. They are automatically deleted from the user’s device when the web browser is closed. Their primary function is to maintain the state of a user’s interaction within a single browsing session, for example, by remembering items in a shopping cart or ensuring that a user remains logged in as they navigate through different pages. The website uses temporary cookies, such as one to determine if a browser accepts cookies, which is discarded upon closing the browser.
Persistent Cookies: Unlike session cookies, persistent cookies remain on a user’s device for a pre-defined period or until they are manually deleted by the user. They are reactivated each time the user revisits the website that created them or visits another website that recognises that cookie. This website utilises persistent cookies with varying lifespans, including cookies for comment convenience (1 year), login information (2 days), screen display options (1 year), “Remember Me” functionality (2 weeks), and article editing indicators (1 day).
First-Party Cookies: These are cookies set directly by the website that the user is currently visiting. In this context, first-party cookies are those set by www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk.
Third-Party Cookies: These are cookies set by a domain different from the one the user is visiting. They are typically used when a website incorporates elements from other sites, such as images, social media plugins, advertisements, or analytics services. This website utilises services that may set third-party cookies, including Google (for services and traffic analysis) , Gravatar (for user avatars in comments), PayPal (for payment processing), and services related to embedded content and spam detection.

In addition to standard cookies, this policy also covers the use of “similar technologies.” This term encompasses other tracking tools such as web beacons (also known as tracking pixels or clear GIFs), local storage, and other similar technologies that store or access information on a user’s device. For instance, the website’s Privacy Policy notes that an anonymised string created from a user’s email address (a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service ; such services might employ these types of technologies. If any such similar technologies are used by this website, they are governed by the principles outlined in this Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Cookies

This website employs cookies for a variety of purposes, all aimed at enhancing the user experience, ensuring the proper functioning of the site, and gathering information to improve its services. The use of cookies is integral to several key operations and features offered.

Cookies are utilised to:

Ensure Basic Website Functionality: Certain cookies are essential for the website to operate correctly. This includes enabling user navigation, facilitating user login and registration processes , and managing access to restricted content.
Remember User Preferences and Settings: To provide a more personalised experience, cookies are used to remember choices made by users, such as their acceptance of the cookie policy itself, preferred screen display options, or language settings.
Enhance User Convenience: For features like the comments section, cookies can store a user’s name, email, and website if they opt-in, so they do not have to re-enter these details for subsequent comments. The “Remember Me” functionality for logins also relies on cookies.
Collect Analytical Information: Performance cookies, including those from services like Google PageSpeed Insights , are used to gather anonymous, aggregated statistics about how visitors interact with the website. This data includes page views, traffic sources, and navigation patterns, helping to measure and improve the site’s performance and content.
Support Educational Interactions: The website may use technologies like xAPI, which can involve cookies, to track and understand how users engage with learning materials, with the aim of improving the design and effectiveness of these resources. This aligns with the site’s educational mission.
Process Payments Securely: When users engage in transactions, such as purchasing subscription packs, cookies from payment processors like PayPal are used to facilitate these payments securely.
Prevent Spam and Enhance Security: Cookies may be used by automated services to detect and filter spam submissions, particularly in comment forms, thereby protecting the integrity of the website.
Deliver and Personalise Content and Advertising: The website’s Privacy Policy mentions the potential aggregation of data into an “advertising profile”. Cookies can be instrumental in building such profiles to deliver more relevant content or advertisements, and to measure their effectiveness. This requires careful management and explicit user consent.
Enable Third-Party Functionality: When content from other websites (e.g., videos from YouTube, social media feeds) is embedded on the site, these third-party services may set their own cookies to enable their features and potentially track user interaction.

The diverse functionalities of this website, encompassing blogging, user account management, educational content delivery, and potentially e-commerce elements , mean that cookies play a crucial role in many of its core operations. It is important for users to understand that these technologies are not solely for tracking but are also fundamental to providing a seamless and feature-rich online experience.

4. Types of Cookies We Use

To provide users with clarity and control, the cookies used on www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk are categorised based on their purpose. This categorisation forms the basis of the choices presented to users in the cookie consent management tool. It is important to note that while “Strictly Necessary Cookies” do not require user consent, all other categories of cookies listed below will only be used if explicit consent is obtained.

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are indispensable for the website to function correctly and to provide services that users request. They cannot be disabled through the website’s cookie management system. Typically, they are set in response to user actions, such as setting privacy preferences, logging into an account, filling out forms, or processing payments (e.g., via PayPal). While users can configure their browser to block or receive alerts about these cookies, doing so will likely cause some parts of the website to cease functioning. Strictly necessary cookies do not store information that directly identifies an individual.
Performance Cookies (Analytics Cookies): These cookies enable the website to collect information about how visitors use the site, such as which pages are visited most frequently, how users navigate between pages, and if they encounter any errors.

The data collected is aggregated and anonymised, meaning it cannot be used to identify individual users. This information is vital for understanding website traffic, measuring the effectiveness of content, and making improvements to the site’s performance and user experience. For instance, Google PageSpeed Insights uses cookies for traffic analysis. If users choose not to allow these cookies, the website’s ability to monitor its performance and tailor improvements based on user behavior will be limited.
Functionality Cookies (Preference Cookies): These cookies allow the website to remember choices users have made and to provide enhanced, more personalised features.

Examples include remembering a username for future logins, recalling language or regional preferences, saving comment details to avoid re-entry, retaining screen display choices , or enabling the “Remember Me” login option. They may be set by this website (first-party) or by third-party providers whose services are integrated into the site, such as Gravatar for displaying user avatars in comments. If users do not consent to these cookies, some or all of these enhanced functionalities may not operate as intended.
Targeting Cookies (Advertising Cookies): These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to users and their interests. They may be set by this website or by third-party advertising partners. If the website uses data to create an “advertising profile”, these cookies would be involved. They work by uniquely identifying a user’s browser and internet-connected device, allowing them to track browsing activity across different websites to build a profile of interests. This profile is then used to display targeted advertisements on this site or other sites.

These cookies do not directly store personal information like a name or email address but rely on the unique identifier of the browser/device. If users do not consent to targeting cookies, they will still see advertisements, but these will be less tailored to their individual interests. The use of xAPI data for learning interactions could also contribute to profiling; if this data is used for personalisation that extends to advertising, it would fall under this category and require explicit consent.
Social Media Cookies / Embedded Content Cookies: This website may embed content from third-party services, such as videos from YouTube or feeds from social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

These services may set their own cookies when users interact with or view this embedded content. Such cookies can enable the functionality of the embedded content (e.g., video playback, social sharing) and may also be used by these third parties to track browsing activity across other websites, building a profile of user interests. This can influence the content and advertisements users see on other platforms. If users do not allow these cookies, they may be unable to use or view the embedded content or sharing tools.

This categorisation is essential for complying with UK data protection laws, which mandate granular consent for different types of non-essential cookies. By providing these clear distinctions, users are empowered to make informed decisions about their privacy. The potential for creating an “advertising profile” particularly underscores the importance of transparency and user control over Targeting Cookies.

5. Detailed Cookie Information (Cookie Declaration)

The following table provides more specific details about the cookies that may be used on http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk. This information is based on the current understanding of the website’s functionalities and third-party integrations, including those identified in the site’s Privacy Policy and through analysis of services like Google PageSpeed Insights.

It is important to note that the dynamic nature of websites and third-party services means that the exact list of cookies can change. A comprehensive and regularly updated cookie audit is the most accurate method for maintaining a complete inventory. Users should be aware that for all third-party cookies listed, http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk does not control their deployment or management. Users are encouraged to consult the respective privacy and cookie policies of these third-party providers for further details. Links to these policies will be provided where feasible.

Cookie Declaration Table

Cookie Name / Identifier (Illustrative)	Provider (Domain)	Type (e.g., HTTP)	Purpose	Duration	Cookie Category
First-Party Cookies
comment_author_[hash]	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Stores the name of the commenter if they opt-in, for convenience on future comments.²	1 year ²	Functionality
comment_author_email_[hash]	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Stores the email of the commenter if they opt-in, for convenience on future comments.²	1 year ²	Functionality
comment_author_url_[hash]	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Stores the website URL of the commenter if they opt-in, for convenience on future comments.²	1 year ²	Functionality
wordpress_test_cookie	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Checks if the user’s browser accepts cookies. Contains no personal data.²	Session (deleted on browser close) ²	Strictly Necessary
wordpress_[hash], wordpress_logged_in_[hash]	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Stores login information for registered users.²	2 days ²	Strictly Necessary
wp-settings-{time}-, wp-settings-	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Saves user screen display choices and preferences.²	1 year ²	Functionality
(Specific “Remember Me” cookie)	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Persists login for users who select the “Remember Me” option.²	2 weeks ²	Functionality
(Specific article editing cookie)	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Indicates the post ID of a recently edited article; contains no personal data.²	1 day ²	Functionality
(User registration cookies)	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk	HTTP	Manages user accounts and stores profile information provided during registration.²	Varies (Requires Audit)	Strictly Necessary
(xAPI related cookies)	http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk / LRS	HTTP/Other	Tracks user interactions with learning content to improve usability and outcomes.²	Varies (Requires Audit)	Functionality/Performance
Third-Party Cookies
NID, CONSENT, _ga, _gid	google.com / google.co.uk	HTTP	Deliver Google services, analyze traffic ¹, support Gravatar ², site analytics, potentially advertising/profiling.	Varies (e.g., NID – 6 months, _ga – 2 years)	Performance/Targeting
tsrce, LANG, x-pp-s	paypal.com	HTTP	Facilitates secure payment processing for transactions.²	Varies (Refer to PayPal Policy)	Strictly Necessary
(Various – e.g., VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE for YouTube)	e.g., youtube.com, twitter.com etc.	HTTP/Other	Enable functionality of embedded content (videos, social feeds), may track user interaction.²	Varies (Refer to Provider Policy)	Functionality/Targeting
(e.g., ak_bmsc for Akismet)	e.g., automattic.com	HTTP	Helps detect and prevent spam in comments.²	Varies (Refer to Provider Policy)	Strictly Necessary

The explicit mention of an “advertising profile” in the site’s Privacy Policy necessitates particular attention to any cookies that contribute to this, ensuring they are clearly identified under the “Targeting” category and subject to explicit user consent. A thorough audit will be indispensable to confirm the specific names, providers, and durations of all cookies, especially those related to xAPI, user registration, and any third-party advertising or analytics services not explicitly detailed in existing documentation.

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

This website is committed to providing users with meaningful control over their cookie preferences, in line with UK GDPR and PECR requirements.

Cookie Consent Tool:
Upon a user’s first visit to http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk, a cookie consent banner or management tool will be displayed. This tool is designed to enable users to:
- Accept all cookies.
- Reject all cookies that are not strictly necessary for the website’s operation.
- Manage their preferences granularly, allowing them to choose which specific categories of non-essential cookies (e.g., Performance, Functionality, Targeting) they wish to accept or reject. The absence of an explicit cookie management link on the current homepage indicates that the described tool will be a key component of ensuring ongoing compliance. The basic “Ok, Got it” notice sometimes seen with Google services is insufficient for the level of granular consent required for this website’s broader use of non-essential cookies.
Browser Settings:
Most web browsers provide users with controls to manage and delete cookies. Users can typically adjust their browser settings to block certain cookies, accept cookies only from specific websites, or be alerted when a cookie is being set. Browser settings also allow users to delete cookies that have already been stored. For detailed instructions, users should consult the help documentation or support pages for their specific browser:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Apple Safari
- Microsoft Edge
  
  General information about managing cookies is also available from independent resources such as http://www.aboutcookies.org or http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
Withdrawing Consent or Changing Settings: Users have the right to change their cookie settings or withdraw their consent at any time after making their initial choices. This can typically be achieved through a persistent link or icon (e.g., “Cookie Settings” or a shield icon) located in the website’s footer. Alternatively, clearing cookies in the browser settings and then reloading the website will re-trigger the consent banner, allowing users to make new choices.
Impact of Disabling Cookies:
It is important for users to understand that disabling certain cookies may affect their experience on the website:
- Disabling Strictly Necessary Cookies (via browser settings, as they cannot be disabled via the site’s consent tool) may cause parts of the website to not function correctly.
- Disabling Functionality Cookies may result in a less personalised experience, and some enhanced features may not be available.
- Disabling Performance Cookies will limit the website’s ability to gather analytics and improve its services based on user interaction.
- Disabling Targeting Cookies will mean that users see advertisements that are less relevant to their interests, though it will not eliminate ads entirely.
Third-Party Opt-Outs for Advertising Cookies:
For users who wish to opt out of interest-based advertising from many third-party ad networks, several industry-led initiatives provide centralized opt-out tools. These include:
- Your Online Choices (for users in Europe)
- Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) (primarily for users in the US)
- Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) (primarily for users in the US and Canada)
  
  It should be noted that opting out through these services does not mean users will no longer see online advertising; it means that the ads they see will be less tailored to their likely interests.

The implementation of a robust and user-friendly cookie consent management platform (CMP) is crucial for this website to meet its legal obligations. This policy describes the intended functionality of such a tool. Providing accessible mechanisms for both initial consent and subsequent withdrawal or modification of preferences empowers users and fosters trust.

7. Data Protection and Your Rights

Certain cookies utilized by http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk may collect information that qualifies as personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). This website is committed to processing all personal data, including that collected via cookies, lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

Users of this website possess specific rights concerning their personal data, as stipulated by the UK GDPR. These rights include, but are not limited to, the right to access their data, the right to rectification of inaccurate data, the right to erasure (the “right to be forgotten”), the right to restrict processing, the right to data portability, and the right to object to certain types of processing.

For comprehensive details regarding:

The full scope of personal data collected by this website (beyond that collected by cookies).
The purposes for which personal data is used and the legal bases for such processing.
How personal data is stored, secured, and for how long it is retained.
A complete list of user rights under data protection law.
Instructions on how to exercise these rights.
The identity and contact details of the data controller.

Users are directed to consult the main Privacy Policy for http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk, available at: https://theeyecareadvocate.co.uk/wpautoterms/privacy-policy/.

The Privacy Policy confirms that the data controller for this website is Jason Searle, who can be contacted for privacy-specific concerns at jason@theeyecareadvocate.co.uk.

The Privacy Policy also outlines data protection measures implemented by the website, such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and staff training in data protection. These measures underscore the site’s commitment to handling all user data, including data collected through cookies, with due care and security. This section serves to connect the specific information about cookies with the broader data protection framework applicable to the website, ensuring users are aware of their comprehensive rights and the resources available to understand them fully.

8. Changes to This Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in the website’s practices, the technologies employed, evolving legal and regulatory requirements, or other relevant factors. The digital environment and data privacy laws are subject to ongoing development, and this website is committed to maintaining its policies in alignment with current standards and best practices.

Users are encouraged to revisit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about how cookies are used on http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk. The “Last Updated” date displayed at the beginning of this document will indicate the most recent revision date, allowing users to quickly ascertain if changes have been made since their last review. The practice of dating content and policies is consistent with the website’s operational procedures.

In the event of significant or material changes to this Cookie Policy, such as alterations that substantially affect user rights or the way cookies are handled, this website may take additional steps to inform users. This could include posting a prominent notice on the homepage or using other appropriate communication channels, where feasible. Acknowledging the potential for changes manages user expectations and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to transparency and compliance.

9. Contact Us

Should users have any questions, concerns, or require further clarification regarding this Cookie Policy or the use of cookies and similar technologies on http://www.theeyecareadvocate.co.uk, they are encouraged to get in touch.

The preferred method for contact regarding such inquiries is via email. Please direct your correspondence to:

The Eye Care Advocate
c/o Jason Searle
Email: jason@theeyecareadvocate.co.uk

This contact email address is consistent with that provided for privacy-specific concerns in the website’s main Privacy Policy and for other website-related communications. Ensuring a clear and accessible point of contact for privacy-related matters is fundamental to transparency and user support. The direct involvement of the website’s founder, Jason Searle, in addressing these queries reinforces accountability and the seriousness with which user privacy is regarded.