Cookies are small files that are sent to the user's terminal equipment (usually to the user's browser) by visited websites; they are stored in the user's terminal equipment to be then re-transmitted to the websites on the user's subsequent visits to those websites. When navigating a website, a user may happen to receive cookies from other websites or web servers, which are the so-called "third party" cookies. This happens because the visited website may contain items such as images, maps, video files or sound files on different domains that are located on servers other than the one where the page being visited is stored.

Cookies are present as a rule in substantial numbers in each user's browser and at times they remain stored for long. They are used for several purposes ranging from IT authentication to the monitoring of browsing sessions up to the storage of specific information on user configurations in accessing a given server, and so on.

Some operations may not be performed without the use of cookies, which in some cases are so technically necessary: ​​for example, access to home banking and activities that can be performed on your account online (check bank statement, bank, pay bills, etc.) would be much more difficult to perform and less secure without the presence of cookies to help identify you and maintain identification within the session.

In this regard, two main categories can be identified:

a. Technical Cookies

Technical cookies are those used exclusively with a view to "carrying out the transmission of a communication on an electronic communications network, or insofar as this is strictly necessary to the provider of an information society service that has been explicitly requested by the contracting party or user to provide the said service." (see Section 122(1) of the Personal Data Protection Code).

They are not used for further purposes and are usually installed directly by the data controller or the website manager. They can be grouped into:

• browsing or session cookies, which allow users to navigate and use a website (e.g. to purchase items online or authenticate themselves to access certain sections);
• analytics cookies, which can be equated to technical cookies insofar as they are used directly by the website manager to collect aggregate information on the number of visitors and the pattern of visits to the website;
• functional cookies, which allow users to navigate as a function of certain pre-determined criteria such as language or products to be purchased so as to improve the quality of service.

User's prior consent is not necessary to install these cookies.

b. Profiling Cookies

Profiling cookies are aimed at creating user profiles. They are used to send ads messages in line with the preferences shown by the user during navigation. In the light of the highly invasive nature of these cookies vis-à-vis users' private sphere, Italian and European legislation requires users to be informed appropriately on their use so as to give their valid consent. These cookies are referred to in Article 122(1) of the Personal Data Protection Code where it is provided that "Storing information, or accessing information that is already stored, in the terminal equipment of a contracting party or user shall only be permitted on condition that the contracting party or user has given his consent after being informed in accordance with the simplified arrangements mentioned in section 13(3) of the Personal Data Protection Code".

Session Cookies and Persistent Cookies

Session cookies, which contain information that are used in the current session of the browser, are automatically deleted at the end of the session (when the browser is closed) and are never kept beyond the time necessary for the use of the site itself.

Persistent cookies, which are used to maintain usefull information between the access to the site that occur over time, for technical reasons or to improve navigation on the site, are not however ever deleted on logout and have a duration (expiry) that is set by the site itself and which can vary from a few minutes, up to several years.

First-party Cookies and Third-party Cookies

You must consider the different subject that installs cookies on the user's terminal, according if it is the manager of the site viseted by the user (which may be briefly referred to as "publisher") or a different site that installs cookies through the first one ("third-party" cookies). According to that, we can have:

• first-party cookies, which are created and readable from the same site that created them;
• third-party cookies, which are created and readable from external domains to the site and whose data are stored by the third party.

We use technical first-party cookies (browsing and functional cookies, both permanent and session). No third-party or profiling cookies are used.

Most browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) are preconfigured to accept cookies by default. Nevertheless, in most browsers you can also check and potentially disable cookies by changing your settings (for more information, consult the help section of your browser). Remember however, that disabling navigation or functional cookies can impair your experience of the website and/or limit the services we offer.