Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files stored by a browser. Similar technologies include local storage and short-lived session identifiers. They can keep a service secure, remember a user’s session or help a site understand how it is used.

This policy covers the public Darkstone Labs website and the protected CMS sign-in flow. The public site does not load Google Analytics until a visitor chooses analytics consent.

The public site uses a strictly necessary consent preference cookie named darkstone_analytics_consent to remember whether analytics was accepted or rejected. If analytics is accepted, Google Analytics 4 may set cookies such as _ga, _ga_<property> and _gid. These are optional analytics cookies, not advertising cookies.

The protected administrator sign-in flow uses strictly necessary authentication and security technologies supplied by our authentication provider. Necessary cookies may preserve a secure session, detect misuse, route requests and remember authentication state. They are required for the requested service and are not used to create advertising profiles.

• Consent preference: remembers an accepted or rejected analytics choice for up to 180 days.
• Google Analytics 4: optional measurement of public page paths, page titles, allowlisted outbound destination categories and successful form categories after consent. The site does not send form content or URL query and hash values.
• Authentication/session data: keeps an authorised administrator signed in and protects restricted CMS routes.
• Security and load-management data: helps detect abuse, preserve service integrity and deliver requests reliably.

Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent under the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations where they are essential to provide a service requested by the user or to secure that service.

Optional Google Analytics is used only where a visitor chooses analytics consent. If consent is not given, the Google Analytics script is not loaded on the public website.

The analytics consent preference lasts up to 180 days and then the site asks again. Google Analytics cookie durations are set by Google and may vary by cookie and configuration. Session technologies normally expire when a browser session ends or a user signs out.

Use Cookie settings in the footer or on this page to accept, reject or withdraw analytics consent. On withdrawal, this site stops sending further Analytics events and deletes Google Analytics cookies available to the page. This does not erase information Google already received; refer to Google’s privacy information for its retention and deletion processes.

You can also block or delete cookies through browser settings. Blocking necessary cookies may prevent administrator sign-in or other requested functionality from working correctly.

Google Analytics is supplied by Google Ireland Limited and may involve processing by Google group entities outside the United Kingdom. Google may use its own international transfer mechanisms and terms; we do not promise a particular processing location. Google’s privacy information and terms provide further detail about its processing.

Where a third-party authentication service sets a necessary cookie, its own privacy information may provide further technical detail. We remain responsible for selecting and configuring providers appropriately for our use.

We will update this policy when our technology changes. Questions about cookies or consent choices may be sent to info@darkstonelabs.ai.