1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small files which are stored on a user’s computer. They are designed to hold a modest amount of data specific to a particular client and website, and can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer. This allows the server to deliver a page tailored to a particular user, or the page itself can contain some script which is aware of the data in the cookie and so is able to carry information from one visit to the website (or related site) to the next.

Each cookie is effectively a small lookup table containing pairs of (key, data) values – for example (firstname, John) (lastname, Smith). Once the cookie has been read by the code on the server or client computer, the data can be retrieved and used to customise the web page appropriately.

These cookies are necessary to provide the requested service. For instance, technical cookies allow you to proceed through different pages of a website with a single login and they remember selections in (order)forms that are filled out on the website.

2. What are the main types  of cookies?

Cookies can be divided into two main categories: technical cookies and customer profiling cookies.

a. Technical cookies.Technical cookies are used for the sole purpose of “implementing a communication transfer through an internet network, in the limits of what is strictly necessary to provide an information service expressedly allowed by the user (see article 122, paragraph 1, of the Privacy Code).They are not used for other reasons and are normally installed directly by the owner or manager of the website. They can be categorized into: temporary cookies or permanent cookies, which grant the standard use and surfing of the website (allowing, for example, to make online purchases or to have access to private areas of the site itself); cookie analytics, which, like the technical cookies, are used by the website developer to gather informations on the number of users and how they visit the website itself; functionality cookies with allow the user to surf the website via selected criteria (for example, the language, or the type of products) in order to improve the service itself. To install such cookies, user consent is required.
b. Traking cookies.
Tracking cookies are meant to create user profiles and their purpose is to send ads messages according to the user’s internet browsing preferences. Due to the invasive nature of those cookies, the European and Italian laws require the user to be properly informed about the cookies in order to give their consent. The article 122 of the Privacy Code refers to it with “the storage of the information concerning a user, or the access to previously stored information, are allowed only if the user has clearly expressed their consent after having been informed about the methods explained by the article 13 of the Privacy Code, paragraph 3”.

Session e Persistent Cookies
Session Cookies store the information used in your current browser session. These cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. No data  is kept in your computer after you have finished exploring the website.
Persistent Cookies are used to store the information which is used in the time span between two separate accesses to the website; or they are used for technical purposes and to improve the net navigation. This allows websites to check that you are an user who has been in that website previously, and adapt to it. Persistent cookies have a time duration which is established by the website and may vary from some minutes to some years.

Third-party and first-party cookies

They are meant to make a necessary distinction between the cookies made by the website owner(first party), and the cookies made by other websites (third party).
First-party cookies are made and read by the website itself.
Third-party cookies are made and read by other websites than the one being visited.

3. Which cookie types does this website adopt, their main characteristics, and how to negate the consent to their use.
Main third-party cookies:
Gooogle Analytics
• __utma
• __utmt
• __utmb
• __utmc
• __utmz
• __utmv
For a detailed description, consult Google Analytics Cookie Usage on Websites Google Analytics Cookie Usage on Websites.
Twitter
• __utma
• __utmz
• __ga
• auth_token
• device_token
• guest_id
• kdt
• _twitter_sess
• remember_checked_on
• lang
For a detailed description, consult Google Analytics Cookie Usage on Websites or visit the Twitter page.

To disable third-party cookies, you may follow the process followed by the main internet browsers:
Block or allow cookies
Enable and disable cookies that websites use to track your preferences
Google Chrome – Attivazione o disattivazione dei cookie
Apple Safari – Customer Privacy Policy