This Cookie Policy explains how QED Labs ("Company," "we," "us," and "our") uses cookies and similar technologies, such as your browser's local storage, to recognize you when you visit our website at https://www.qedlabs.co.uk ("Website"). It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.
In some cases we may use cookies to collect personal information, or that becomes personal information if we combine it with other information.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners in order to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.
Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, QED Labs) are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies." Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website (e.g., advertising, interactive content, and analytics). The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognize your computer both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.
Websites can also keep similar data in your browser's local storage, which stays until you clear it, and session storage, which is cleared when you close the tab. This Cookie Policy covers these too.
Why do we use cookies?
We use a small amount of strictly necessary storage so our Website works, for example to remember your cookie choice and to keep signing in secure, and we use Sentry to find and fix errors. With your consent, we also use analytics cookies to understand how our Website is used, and advertising cookies to measure how well our ads work. We do not set analytics or advertising cookies unless you accept them. Each one is described below.
How can I control cookies?
The first time you visit our Website, a banner asks whether you accept or reject analytics and advertising cookies. Rejecting is as easy as accepting, and it does not restrict any part of our Website. You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings at the foot of every page, or here:
Strictly necessary cookies and storage cannot be switched off in the banner, because our Website needs them to work. You can also set your web browser to refuse cookies, as described below.
The cookies and similar technologies used on our Website, and what each one does, are listed below.
Strictly necessary
These are needed for our Website to work, so they are always on.
- qed-cookie-consent — Remembers whether you accepted or rejected analytics and advertising cookies, so we do not ask on every page. Provider: qedlabs.co.uk. Type: local storage. Kept until you clear your browser's data for our Website.
- __Host-next-auth.csrf-token — Protects signing in to QED against cross-site request forgery. Provider: QED Labs. Type: cookie. Expires when you close your browser.
- __Secure-next-auth.callback-url — Remembers which page to return you to after you sign in. Provider: QED Labs. Type: cookie. Expires when you close your browser.
- __Secure-next-auth.session-token — Keeps you signed in. Set only when you sign in to QED. Provider: QED Labs. Type: cookie. Kept until you sign out or your session ends.
- nextauth.message — Keeps your signed-in status the same across your open tabs. Provider: QED Labs. Type: local storage.
Error monitoring
We use Sentry to find and fix errors on our Website.
- sentryReplaySession — Identifies the short recording Sentry keeps of the page so that, if an error occurs, we can see the steps that led to it. Service: Sentry (view privacy policy). Type: session storage. Cleared when you close the tab.
Analytics (only if you accept)
We use PostHog, with data hosted in the EU, to understand how our Website is used so that we can improve it.
- ph_[project key]_posthog — Recognises your browser across pages and visits, and keeps track of your current session. Provider: .qedlabs.co.uk. Service: PostHog (view privacy policy). Type: cookie, with copies in local storage and session storage. Expires in: 1 year.
- ph_[project key]_window_id and ph_[project key]_primary_window_exists — Tell PostHog which browser tab a visit happens in. Service: PostHog. Type: session storage. Cleared when you close the tab.
- qed_visitor — Records whether you have signed in to QED as a customer, contractor or member of our team, so we can tell visits from prospective customers apart. Set when you sign in to QED, and read by our Website only if you accept. Provider: .qedlabs.co.uk. Type: cookie. Expires in: 2 years.
If you reject, PostHog still records how our Website is used, such as the pages viewed, clicks and session recordings, but without cookies or any other storage on your device, so each page you load counts as a new, anonymous visit. If you accept and later reject, PostHog deletes its cookie.
Advertising (only if you accept)
We advertise on Google, and use the Google Ads tag to measure which ads lead people to our Website and to get in touch with us.
- _gcl_au — Stores an identifier that Google Ads uses to link your visit to the ads you saw or clicked. Provider: .qedlabs.co.uk. Service: Google Ads (view privacy policy). Type: cookie, with a copy (_gcl_ls) in local storage. Expires in: 90 days.
- _gcl_aw — Set only if you arrive by clicking one of our Google ads, and stores that click's identifier. Provider: .qedlabs.co.uk. Service: Google Ads. Type: cookie. Expires in: 90 days.
- IDE — Google's advertising cookie, used to measure ads and, with your consent, to personalise them. Provider: .doubleclick.net (third party). Service: Google. Type: cookie. Expires in: 13 months.
Google may set other cookies on its own domains, under Google's privacy policy. If you reject, the Google Ads tag runs in Google's consent mode: it sends Google basic signals without cookies, such as that a page was viewed, which Google uses to estimate how well ads perform. It does not read or set advertising cookies. If you accept and later reject, the tag stops using its cookies, but they stay in your browser until they expire or you clear them.
How can I control cookies on my browser?
As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser to browser, you should visit your browser's help menu for more information. The following is information about how to manage cookies on the most popular browsers:
In addition, most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit:
- Digital Advertising Alliance
- Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada
- European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance
What about other tracking technologies, like web beacons?
The Google Ads tag reports page views and conversions to Google with small network requests, sometimes called web beacons or tracking pixels. If you reject cookies, these requests carry no advertising cookie identifiers.
Do you serve targeted advertising?
We do not show ads on our Website. If you accept advertising cookies, Google may use information about your visit to show you our ads on other websites and to personalise the ads you see. If you reject them, it does not. You can also manage how Google uses your information for ads in My Ad Center.
How often will you update this Cookie Policy?
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please therefore revisit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.
The date at the top of this Cookie Policy indicates when it was last updated.
Where can I get further information?
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please email us at admin@qed-labs.ai.