Cookie information

What exactly are cookies?

A cookie is a text file that stores information for a limited time. Most websites use cookies. These are automatically downloaded and saved by your browser the first time you visit a website. A cookie contains at least two components, the name and value of the file. The cookie generally has a self-destruct date, which is defined according to the desired lifespan of the cookie. A distinction is hereby made between session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are automatically deleted immediately, at the end of the browsing session. Persistent cookies remain stored on your computer for the duration of the lifespan defined for the cookie. They are only deleted at the end of a specified period of time. These cookies remember your preferred settings when you revisit the website.
 

Are cookies bad?

There is no absolute answer to this question. It depends which website data the cookies store or don't store and for what this information is ultimately used. You can think of cookies as a tool, for example a hammer or saw. In principle they are intended to be helpful, but they can also be put to negative use. Therefore it is worth differentiating and deciding which cookies are necessary and important for you personally, and which should not be saved. You should then adjust the cookie settings on your end device accordingly.
 

What are cookies actually needed for?

Cookies are supposed to make the user's visit to a website easier and more user-friendly. For example, with online shopping they allow the website to "remember" which products you had in your basket when you call up the page again, or they ensure your preferred layout and font size are automatically displayed.
However, not all cookies are useful and exclusively for the benefit of the user. For example, tracking cookies are used to monitor your behaviour on websites and to place advertising accordingly, or to make websites more user-friendly. It is therefore important to think about which cookies you should allow and which you should refuse. To make this decision, it is helpful to know what types of cookie there are.
 

What types of cookie are there?

• Functional cookies are cookies that are absolutely necessary for essential functions of the website to work. Without these the website cannot be used as intended. Among other things, they ensure provision of the correct functionality when a page is changed from http to https and therefore that increased security requirements are met. These cookies collect anonymised information (no link to your identity can therefore be made) and they cannot monitor your movements on other websites. They are only stored for the duration of the session and therefore belong to the session cookies category. Your consent to the use of these cookies is not required.
• First-party cookies are, according to the legal definition, cookies that are not absolutely necessary for the use of a website. They do, however, perform important tasks that improve your browsing experience. For example, these cookies ensure that your chosen settings, such as language selection, are saved. The information they contain are only of use for the particular website.
• Performance cookies are cookies that collect information about the way a website is used by the visitor, namely, which page a user calls up most often and whether error messages are displayed. These cookies do not store any other information. They are used simply to increase user-friendliness and to tailor websites more specifically to the individual user. This information is also stored only in anonymised form.
• If third-party content is integrated in a website, the third-party provider can apply cookies even when you are not directly using its website. These cookies are called third-party cookies. These cookies can be used by the third party to store information about you as a user and to identify you when you visit its own website, in order to present you with a website tailored to you. This is possible for example if a YouTube video is embedded in a website.
• If cookies are used for marketing purposes, these are called marketing cookies. They are used to present the user with advertising that is relevant and tailored to him or her. They are also used to determine how often an advert appears and the effectiveness of an advertising campaign.
   

Where can I define my cookie settings?

Most websites contain a notice about the use of cookies. You yourself are also able to adjust your cookie permissions more in line with your wishes in your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to accept or delete all cookies or only allow certain types of cookies.

You can stop cookies from being stored on your end device by selecting "do not accept cookies" in your browser settings. However, if you do refuse all cookies, this can result in the functional limitation of certain websites.
You can delete the cookies stored on your end device at any time. Please refer to the instructions for your browser or end device for detailed information on how to do this.