Last Updated on: September 7, 2022
Hotbot Limited (“Hotbot”), directly or indirectly operates gethotbot.com offering search services and everyday useful content. We understand that your privacy is important to you, and we are committed to being transparent about the information we collect and process upon your use of Hotbot sites.
We operate our sites from Canada and, regardless of your place of residence or access location, your use of our sites is governed by the laws of the province of Ontario, Canada. Users who access or use our sites from other locations do so at their own risk and consent to the transfer and processing of their data in Canada and any other jurisdiction throughout the world. This Cookie Policy is provided in English. Translations to certain other languages may be available and can be requested by contacting us here.
This Cookie Policy explains how and why cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, clear gifs, and other similar files or technologies may be used to collect and store the information automatically collected about your browser, computer, device, and Service usage and how you can control the use of these technologies.
This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files which are stored on the browser or hard drive of your computer or mobile device when you visit a webpage or application. A “session cookie” stores temporary information that is deleted when you close your web browser or turn off your computer or device. A “persistent cookie” enables the site to recognize when you return to it and remains stored on your computer until you delete it. Cookies work to make your experience browsing our site as smooth as possible by remembering your preferences the next time you visit the site.
You should read this Policy to understand what types of cookies we use, the information we collect from them, and how that information is managed.
What Types of Cookies do we use?
Hotbot uses a few types of cookies to improve the user experience on the website, such as:
- Google Analytics for statistical assessment and website performance improvement;
- Cookies for personalizing the content of the site for users, such as setting the default language.
You can set up warnings for every time the site places a cookie in your browser, or you can choose to disable all cookies. You can do both through your browser settings. Since each browser has a different procedure for managing cookies, look at your browser’s Help Menu to learn the correct way to do it.
Some cookies are essential for our Websites to operate smoothly; others are used to improve Websites’ functionality, analyze aggregated usage statistics to improve Websites’ performance, and for advertising. Like many websites, we and/or our third party providers use cookies to recognize you as you use or return to the Hotbot website. Our cookies are categorized in the following categories:
- Essential cookies. These cookies are essential for enabling user movement around our Websites. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing purposes and do not remember where you have been on the internet. This category of cookies cannot be disabled.
- Functionality cookies. Functionality cookies are used to remember information you have entered or choices you made (e. g., language) on the Websites, so the next time you visit the Website you will not have to set them again.
- Analytics cookies. These cookies are set to collect information about how visitors use our Websites. They allow us to make improvements to our Websites and report our performance.
- Advertising cookies. These cookies are placed by third-party advertising platforms or networks to deliver ads and track ad performance. In some cases, these cookies enable advertising networks to deliver ads that may be relevant to you based upon your activities on our Websites and other Websites (in such cases, ad serving might be based on automated decision-making).
Cookies in Use
Our Websites use different cookies. The tables below list and explain why we use them and how long they are stored on your device. Please note that this list of cookies is not exhaustive.
We use the following cookies on Hotbot website gethotbot.com:
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Term | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| cf_chl_cc_xxxxxxxxxxxx | These cookies are used by Cloudflare for the execution of Javascript or Captcha challenges. They are not used for tracking or beyond the scope of the challenge. They can be deleted if seen. | Session | Essential |
| cookie_law | Remembers user cookie preferences. | 6 months | Essential |
| PHPSESSID | Provides a session ID of a user to remember selections as the user navigates through the site from page to page. | Session | Essential |
| backgrounds | Remembers user preference for a custom background choice for the site. | 6 months | Functionality |
| center_content | The site and results default to “left alignment” on the page, this cookie remembers if you set it to “center align” instead. | 6 months | Functionality |
| cf_chl_2 | This cookie is used to check whether the Cloudflare Edge server supports cookies | Session | Functionality |
| cf_chl_prog | These cookies are used by Cloudflare for the execution of Javascript or Captcha challenges. They are not used for tracking or beyond the scope of the challenge. They can be deleted if seen. | Session | Functionality |
| cf_chl_seq_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | These cookies are used by Cloudflare for the execution of Javascript or Captcha challenges. They are not used for tracking or beyond the scope of the challenge. | Session | Functionality |
| dark_mode | Sets and keeps the user’s preference to view the site in “dark mode” with a dark background and light text, or the inverse. | 6 months | Functionality |
| highlight | User preference to highlight your search term in the results (or not). | 6 months | Functionality |
| new_window | Sets user preference to open a new window when a search result link is clicked. | 6 months | Functionality |
| lang | Sets and remembers the user’s language preference | 6 months | Functionality |
| market | Sets the country you want your search results based on. | 6 months | Functionality |
| safe_search | When set remembers the user’s Safe Search setting and blocks or allows search content based on this setting. | 6 months | Functionality |
| _ga | The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. | 2 years | Analytics |
| _gat_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behavior and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. | 1 Minute | Analytics |
| _gcl_au | Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. | 3 months | Analytics |
| _gid | Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. | 1 day | Analytics |
| RNLBSERVERID | Stores information on performance and user experience | Session | Analytics |
Third Party Advertising
You may exercise choices regarding certain third party advertising cookies through the following organizations:
- Digital Advertising Alliance (" DAA") Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. You exercise the DAA choices regarding Interest-based Advertising here. You can also download the DAA AppChoices app for control over how information about your interests is used for in-app advertising on your mobile device here.
- European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (“EDAA”). To learn more about the EDAA and your opt out options, see Your Online Choices.
- Network Advertising Initiative (“ NAI”). To learn more about the NAI and your opt out options for their members, see http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/.
We only enable behavioral targeting with your consent where such consent is required. Please be aware that, even if you have not consented to behavioral targeting where consent is required, or if you have opted out of certain Interest/behavioral/targeted –based advertising, you may continue to receive customized content and/or ads based on the search queries you submitted or the content of the pages you are visiting. Hotbot is not responsible for effectiveness of, or compliance with, any third-parties’ opt out options or programs or the accuracy of their statements regarding their programs.
How do you change cookie preferences or block cookies?
Within your browser, you can choose whether you wish to accept cookies or not. Different browsers make different controls available to you. Generally, your browser will offer you the choice to accept, refuse or delete cookies at all times, or those from providers that website owners use i.e. third party cookies, or those from specific websites. Each browser’s website should contain instructions on how you can do this.
For further information, please click here.
If you block cookies on our website, you may be unable to access certain areas of our website and certain functions and pages will not work in the usual way.
Alternatively, you can disable all cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative Opt Out page, the Google Ads Personalization Control page or by using the Google Analytics Opt Out Browser add-on. Please note that choosing to disable cookies may negatively affect some of the features that make your site experience more efficient.
More Cookie Resources
If you would like to find out more about cookies and their use on the Internet, you may find the following links useful:
Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy or would like to submit a request to our Data Protection Officer, please contact us here or via mail at:
Hotbot Limited
1785 Turner Rd
Suite 104
Windsor, Ontario
N8W 3J9
Canada