The HARNESS Project

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit them. They help websites remember information about you and your preferences.

When you return to our site, your browser sends these cookies back to us, allowing us to recognize you and provide a more personalized experience.

Why do websites use cookies? Cookies serve many important purposes:

  • Making websites work properly
  • Remembering your preferences and settings
  • Understanding how you use the site
  • Improving your browsing experience
  • Keeping you secure while using the site

Types of Cookies

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for our website to function. They enable core functionality like security, access to secure areas, and maintaining your session.

Duration: Session or persistent | User Control: Cannot be disabled

Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how you use our website. We use this information to improve our content and user experience.

Examples: Google Analytics | Duration: Up to 2 years | User Control: Can be declined

Functionality Cookies

These cookies remember your choices and preferences to personalize your experience. Examples include your preferred companion character or language preference.

Duration: Up to 1 year | User Control: Can be declined

Performance Cookies

These cookies measure site performance and help us optimize loading times and overall user experience.

Duration: Up to 1 year | User Control: Can be declined

Cookies We Use

Cookie Name Type Purpose Duration
harness_cookie_consent Essential Stores your cookie consent choice 1 year
harness_companion_choice Functionality Remembers your preferred companion character 1 year
_ga, _ga_* Analytics Google Analytics tracking (only if you accept) 2 years
Session cookies Essential Maintains your session while browsing Session

First-Party vs. Third-Party: Most of our cookies are "first-party" (set by us). We also use Google Analytics, which sets "third-party" cookies to help us understand site usage. You can opt out of all non-essential cookies using the options below.

Your Choices & Control

How to Manage Cookies in Your Browser

Google Chrome

  1. Click the Menu icon (three dots) in the top right
  2. Go to Settings → Privacy and security
  3. Click "Cookies and other site data"
  4. Choose your cookie settings

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click the Menu icon (three lines) in the top right
  2. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security
  3. Scroll to "Cookies and Site Data"
  4. Choose your cookie preferences

Apple Safari

  1. Click Safari in the menu bar
  2. Go to Preferences → Privacy
  3. Choose your cookie settings under "Cookies and website data"

Microsoft Edge

  1. Click the Menu icon (three dots) in the top right
  2. Go to Settings → Cookies and site permissions
  3. Manage cookies and site data

Opting Out of Analytics: You can also opt out of Google Analytics specifically using the official Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

Do Not Track: If your browser supports the "Do Not Track" feature, we respect your preference. However, please note that many websites do not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Why We Use Cookies

Improving Your Experience

We use cookies to remember your preferences, such as your chosen companion character, so we can personalize your educational journey.

Site Functionality

Essential cookies keep our site secure and functioning properly. Without them, features like forms and login sessions wouldn't work.

Understanding Usage

Analytics cookies help us understand how educators and learners use our platform, allowing us to create better educational content.

Consent Management

We use a specific cookie to store your consent choice, ensuring we respect your privacy preferences on future visits.

Privacy & Data Protection

What We DO Track (With Your Consent)

  • ✓ Page visits and time spent on each page
  • ✓ Button clicks and interactive feature usage
  • ✓ Device type and browser information
  • ✓ General location (country/region level)
  • ✓ Anonymous usage statistics to improve content

What We DON'T Track

  • ✗ Personal health information or medical history
  • ✗ Sexual health status or sexual orientation (unless you choose to share)
  • ✗ Personally identifiable information (names, emails, etc.) in analytics
  • ✗ Cross-site tracking or behavioral profiling
  • ✗ Selling or sharing data with advertisers
  • ✗ Using cookies for targeted advertising

Third-Party Services

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how people use our educational platform. This helps us improve our curriculum and user experience. Google Analytics collects information about your visit in an anonymized form.

Privacy Policy: Google's Privacy Policy

Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

We use CDNs to deliver images and media quickly to users around the world. These services may set cookies for performance optimization.

Email Services

If you subscribe to our newsletter, third-party email service providers may use cookies to track email opens and link clicks. This helps us understand what content resonates with our educators.

Questions About Our Cookie Policy?

We're committed to transparency about how we use cookies and protect your privacy. If you have questions about this policy or want to discuss your cookie preferences, we'd love to hear from you.

Response Time

We typically respond to inquiries within 2-3 business days.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this cookie policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements, or our privacy practices. When we make changes, we'll update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

Continued use of our website after policy changes means you accept the new terms. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.

Additional Privacy Resources