Cookies Policy

Our Cookies Policy details all relevant information regarding the use of cookies and similar technologies in connection to the Ask Margot website and applications and services, products and tools (hereinafter: "Site and Site Services") and your choice options in this regard. This Cookies Policy shall be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy and the information regarding cookies and similar technologies which the Privacy Policy contains. This Cookies Policy is applicable regardless of how you access and make use of our Site and Site Services including the access via mobile devices and apps.

This Cookies Policy is effective as of March 1, 2024.

1. Information regarding the technologies we use.

When you use our Site and Site Services, we and authorized third-party providers make use of cookies and similar technologies. We make use of cookies and similar technologies which will not be saved on your device or which will only be saved on your device for as long as your browser is active (e.g. session cookies). Furthermore, we make use of cookies and similar technologies which will be saved on your device for a longer period (e.g. persistent cookies). Where possible, we take appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access to our cookies and similar technologies. A unique identifier (ID) ensures that only we and authorized third-party providers have access to data that has been collected by means of cookies and similar technologies.

The cookies and similar technologies used by us have various functions:

1.1 They can be (technically) necessary for the provision of our Site and Site Services

1.2 They help us to technically enhance our Site and Site Services (e.g. monitoring of error messages and loading times)

1.3 They help us to improve your user experience (e.g. by saving the font size and data entered into webforms)

1.4 They enable us to show you more relevant ads

2. What are cookies, web beacons and similar technologies?

2.1 Cookies.

Cookies are small text files (typically made up of letters and numbers) which are placed in the memory of your browser or device when you make use of our Site and Site Services, in particular when you visit our Site or when you open a message. Cookies allow for a recognition of a specific device or browser. There are different types of cookies:

  • Session cookies (also called session-based cookies) expire at the end of your session (e.g. when closing your browser window) and enable the entity using them to track your activities during this one session

  • Persistent cookies remain stored on your device between sessions and enable us, for example, to track your settings or activities on several websites

  • First-party cookies are set by the provider whose online service you are using (e.g. the operator of the website you are visiting)

  • Third-party cookies are set by a provider other than the provider whose online service you are using (e.g. the operator of a website other than the one you are visiting)

2.2 Web Beacons.

Web beacons (also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs) are small graphic images that are used in connection with the provision of our services and which typically work in conjunction with cookies to track the use of an online service by its users. For example, when we send you emails, web beacons allow us to track if you opened the emails and clicked links to measure campaign performance and improve features.

2.3 Similar Technologies.

Similar technologies are technologies which enable the entity using it to track your user behavior. This can be done by local shared objects or local storage, such as flash cookies, HTML 5 cookies and other web application software methods, all of which store information in your browser or device. Additionally, there are other technologies that function without local storage in your end device and instead make use of, inter alia, browser functions. In this context, a "fingerprint" of your system is created that serves as a unique identifier.

These technologies may function across all your browsers and in some cases are not fully managed by your browser, but may need to be managed directly from your installed applications or your device. We sometimes use the terms cookies and similar technologies interchangeably.

3. Why do we use these technologies?

Some of our Site and Site Services can only be offered using cookies, web beacons and similar technologies. In general, these technologies enable us to track your user behavior and identify you - even across devices. You can find more information about the personal data that we collect using cookies and similar technologies in our Privacy Policy. The cookies, web beacons and similar technologies used in connection with our Site and Site Services serve the following functions:

3.1 Technologies which are operationally necessary.

We use cookies, web beacons and similar technologies that are necessary for the operation of our Site and Site Services. This includes technologies that allow you access to our Site and Site Services which are required to monitor the functioning of the Site, prevent fraudulent activity and improve security, or that allow you to make use of our functions such as shopping carts, saved search, or similar functions.

3.2 Technologies which are performance-related.

We use cookies, web beacons or other similar technologies to assess the performance of our Site and Site Services. This happens in order to analyze how visitors use our Site and Site Services, how users use our messaging tools, if and how items and links are viewed or how to improve our Site and Site Services.

3.3 Technologies which are functionality-related.

We use cookies, web beacons or other similar technologies that allow us to offer you enhanced functionality when accessing or using our Site and Site Services. These technologies may, among other things, identify you when you sign into our Site and Site Services or they may store your settings or the items viewed, so that we can enhance the presentation of content within our Site and Site Services and facilitate it (e.g. by means of the 'stay logged in function').

3.4 Technologies which are advertising- or targeting-related.

We use cookies, web beacons or other similar technologies to deliver content tailored to your interests, including advertisements, in connection with the provision of our Site and Site Services or within third-party online services (retargeting, remarketing). This includes using technologies to determine how relevant the advertisements and contents are for you, which ads have already been shown to you, how often they have been shown, when and where they have been shown and if you have reacted by carrying out an activity – such as clicking on an ad or purchasing an item. For this purpose, data will be combined with data already collected regarding your interests.

Among other things, we collect data regarding your device (e.g. the operating system and its version) to provide a uniform service on all your devices. You can find further information on personal data that we collect by the means of cookies and similar technologies in our Privacy Policy.

4. Which service providers do we cooperate with?

In regard to the usage of cookies, web beacons and similar technologies, we cooperate with authorized service providers. This includes ad networks and ad exchanges, which enable us to show you advertisements.

Authorized service providers are entitled to place web beacons and similar technologies within our Site and Site Services and to place cookies on your device, as far as this is permissible according to applicable law. In this context, data for the identification of your device will be tracked, for example the IP address, the device ID or the advertising ID (IDFA - ID for Advertising or Google Advertising ID).

This enables the service providers to help us deliver content and more relevant advertisements, and to produce anonymous metrics and analytics, including conversion statistics. The processing of personal data by external service providers is subject to data protection and confidentiality agreements with us and applicable data protection laws. With regard to data processing by service providers, please check the privacy notices of the respective third-party providers.

Service providers that we cooperate with include Meta and Google.

  • Meta: Provision of advertising services via Meta's advertising and marketing platforms (Facebook’s Data Policy)
  • Google: Provision of advertising services via Google's advertising and marketing platforms (Google Privacy Policy)

With the exception of the use of such technologies by our service providers or other authorized third parties, we do not permit any third-party content on our Site (such as communication among users, comments, reviews, etc.) to include or utilize any cookies, web beacons, local storage, or similar technologies for tracking purposes or to collect your personal data for their own purposes of such third parties. If you suspect that an offer or third-party content within our Site and Site Services collects personal data or may use tracking technologies, please report this to [email protected]

5. Google Analytics.

We use Google Analytics, an analysis tool of Google LLC and its affiliated entities ("Google") to continuously improve our Site and Site Services. The use includes the Universal Analytics operating mode. This makes it possible to assign data, sessions and interactions across multiple devices to a pseudonymous user ID and thus analyze a user's activities across multiple devices. Google Analytics uses cookies that are stored on your device and that enable us to analyze your use of our Site and Site Services. The data collected by the cookies regarding the use of our Site and Site Services (including your IP address) are usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

On our behalf, Google processes this data to evaluate the use of our Site and Site Services, to compile reports on usage activities and to provide us with further services associated with the use of our Site and Site Services. Your IP address transmitted in the context of Google Analytics will not be combined with other data from Google.

The data collected via Google Analytics is automatically deleted after 14 months. Data whose retention period has been reached is automatically deleted once a month.

You can prevent the collection of data through the Google Analytics cookie by adjusting your browser settings accordingly. If you deactivate cookies, you may not be able to use all functions of our Site and Site Services to their full extent, however.

In addition, you can prevent the collection of data related to your use of the Site and Site Services (including your IP address) via the Google Analytics cookie and the processing of this data by Google by installing the following browser plugin.

Further information about Google Analytics can be found in the terms of use and in the privacy policy of Google.

6. Google reCAPTCHA: Prevention of automated access

We make use of Google reCAPTCHA ("reCAPTCHA") within the provision of our Site and Site Services. reCAPTCHA is used to check and prevent interactions through automated access, for example through so-called bots (computer programs that perform tasks automatically and independently). reCAPTCHA is used in particular to check whether data input in connection with our Site and Site Services (e.g. in a contact form) is carried out by a human or by an automated program. For this purpose, reCAPTCHA analyzes the behavior of the user on the basis of various characteristics. This analysis automatically begins as soon as the user connects with the online service, e.g. visits the website. For the purposes of this analysis, reCAPTCHA evaluates various pieces of information (e.g. IP address, duration of the user's visit to the online service or the user's mouse movements). The data collected during the analysis is forwarded to Google. The analyses by reCAPTCHA are carried out entirely in the background.

Please find details regarding Google reCAPTCHA “here” and in “Google’s Privacy Policy.”

7. Which security measures do we take to protect your data?

We protect our cookies and similar technologies to ensure that only we or authorized service providers can evaluate them. For this purpose, we assign a unique identifier (ID) to them that is designed so that only we can process them.

8. Your Choices

You can decide to what extent we may use cookies and similar technologies within the provision of our Site and Site Services. Your choice options will depend on the purposes for which we use these technologies.

With regard to the use of advertising-related or personalization-related technologies, you can adjust the settings for the usage of first-party cookies (and similar technologies) for marketing purposes.

8.1 Technologies which are operationally necessary, performance-related or functionality-related.

If you wish to deactivate the use of any cookies – including cookies that are operationally necessary, performance-related or functionality-related – that we use within the provision of our Site and Site Services, you may do so by using the settings in your browser or device, if this is supported by your browser or device. The settings must be made separately for each browser you use.

Please note that you may not be able to use portions of our Site and Site Services when you deactivate cookies and similar technologies (e.g. the 'stay logged in function'). You may also need to enter your password more frequently during your browser sessions

8.2 Technologies which are advertising or targeting-related.

In addition, you can specifically decide whether we and third parties may use cookies and similar technologies to show you personalized ads. If you choose not to have your personal data processed by us for advertising purposes using cookies (and similar technologies), this does not necessarily mean that no advertisements will be shown to you. It simply means that these advertisements will not be personalized for you by means of cookies, web beacons or similar technologies. As a result, you will no longer receive personalized advertising in the future, but your data may still be collected as described in our Privacy Policy.

You can deactivate the use of any third-party cookies – e.g. by online ad networks – within our Site and Site Services by using the settings in your browser or the device settings in your device, if this is supported by your browser or device.

You can also find information on advertising-related third-party cookies and similar technologies and how to prevent their use on the following websites:

If you delete all cookies on your device, any opt-out cookies that have already been set will also be deleted, so that you will have to declare again any opt-outs that have already been declared.

9. Do Not Track.

California law requires us to let you know how we respond to web browser Do Not Track (DNT) signals. Because there currently isn't an industry or legal standard for recognizing or honoring DNT signals, we don't respond to them at this time. We await the result of work by the privacy community and industry to determine when such a response is appropriate and what form it should take.