Cookie policy

II. Legal Context

In accordance with the requirements of Directive (EU) 2002/58/EC (“E-Privacy Directive”) and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 regarding the protection of natural persons in relation to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (“GDPR”), which has been applicable since May 25, 2018, we are obliged to manage your personal data securely and only for the specified purposes, which you provide us through the use of our website, in accordance with the provisions of the GDPR and the E-Privacy Directive.
In particular, the GDPR obliges us, first, to offer users the possibility to express or, as the case may be, withdraw their consent at any time for the processing of their personal data, to rectify the content of their personal data, or to request the transfer of their personal data to another operator, and, second, to inform the user about the contents of the cookies used by our site, which categories of personal data are processed by our cookies, what we do with the information obtained from cookies, where the information is stored, offering a high level of security over the information collected by cookies, the possibility for the user to block the running of any or all cookies from our site, as well as deleting the information collected by cookies.
For more details about these legal norms, please visit the following links:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/RO/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32002L0058
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/RO/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016R0679

III. Your Rights

The GDPR grants certain rights to the data subjects. You have the right to access and rectify (correct) the registration of your personal data processed by us if it is inaccurate. You may request that we delete this data or cease processing it, subject to certain exceptions. You may also request that we stop using your data for direct marketing purposes. You have the right to file a complaint with the data protection authority if you are concerned about how we process your personal data. When technically feasible, we may – at your request – provide you with your personal data or transmit it directly to another operator. If access cannot be provided within a reasonable time frame, we will provide you with a date when the information will be transmitted. You may also request additional information about: the purpose of the processing, the categories of personal data involved, the source of the information, and how long it will be stored.
WARNING! Please exercise your rights wisely and be aware that abusing these rights may lead to liability.
The contact details of the national data protection authority are as follows:
National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing
Address: Bucharest, General Gheorghe Magheru Blvd. no. 28-30, sector 1, postal code 010336
Website: http://www.dataprotection.ro
Email: anspdcp@dataprotection.ro
Phone: +40.318.059.211; +40.318.059.212
Fax: +40.318.059.602

IV. Data Protection Officer

We have appointed a data protection officer regarding all aspects related to personal data protection, and you can contact the data protection officer regarding all matters related to the processing of your data and the exercise of your rights under applicable legal provisions, especially if you have questions or concerns about how we process your personal data. The email address to contact the data protection officer is: contact@arads.ro

V. Your Consent for Using Cookies

Once you access our website, you will be greeted by a message asking for your consent in accordance with applicable legal provisions regarding the categories of cookies you agree to or not to use during your visit to our website. Additionally, it is important to note that by giving consent to the use of specific cookies, you will also agree to the secure storage of the information collected by the cookies you have accepted.
Until the consent/refusal process for the use of cookies is completed, no cookies will be used by our site, except for those that are necessary for the site to function.
Please note that you can block the running of cookies at any time as you will see below, as well as the possibility of deleting the information collected by cookies.

VI. What is a “Cookie”?

An “Internet Cookie” (also known as “browser cookie,” “HTTP cookie,” or simply “cookie”) is a small file made up of letters and numbers, which will be stored on the user’s computer, mobile device, or other equipment from which the site is accessed (more details at https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie).
A cookie is installed through a request sent by a web server to a browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) and is completely “passive” (it does not contain software programs, viruses, or spyware and cannot access information on the user’s hard drive).
A cookie consists of two parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Moreover, the duration of a cookie is determined, and technically, only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the associated website.
Cookies themselves do not request personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify internet users.
There are two main categories of cookies:

• Session Cookies – these are stored temporarily in the browser’s cookie folder to allow the browser to remember them until the user exits the site or closes the browser window.
• Persistent Cookies – these are stored on the computer’s hard drive or device for a period determined by the website that placed them. These types of cookies can be deleted by the user at any time via the browser settings.

VII. What Are the Advantages of Cookies?

A cookie contains information that links a web browser (the browser you are using, such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) to a specific web server, specifically the server hosting our site. If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the already stored information and respond accordingly. Cookies ensure users have a pleasant browsing experience and support many websites in offering comfortable services for users: for example, online privacy preferences, language settings, shopping carts, or relevant advertising.

VIII. What is the Lifetime of a Cookie?

Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifetime of a cookie can vary significantly depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session (session cookies) and are no longer retained once the user leaves the website, while some cookies are retained and reused every time the user returns to that website (persistent cookies). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time.

IX. How Do We Use Cookies on This Site? What Categories of Cookies Do We Use?

By using/visiting the website, the following cookies may be placed:
a. Performance cookies
b. User analytics cookies
c. Geotargeting cookies
d. Registration cookies
e. Advertising cookies
f. Third-party advertising cookies
a. Performance Cookies: These cookies store the user’s preferences on this website, so you don’t have to set your preferences again when visiting the site later.
b. User Analytics Cookies: These cookies inform us whether a specific user has visited/used this site previously. These cookies are used solely for statistical purposes.
c. Geotargeting Cookies: These cookies are used by software to determine the user’s country of origin. The same ads will be shown regardless of the selected language.
d. Registration Cookies: When you register on this site, cookies are generated to store this action. Servers use these cookies to display the account you are registered with. Also, using these cookies allows us to associate any comment posted on the website with the username of the account used. If the “keep me logged in” option was not selected, these cookies will be deleted automatically at the end of the browsing session.
e. Advertising Cookies: These cookies allow us to track whether a user has viewed an online advertisement, the type of advertisement, and the time elapsed since the advertisement was viewed. Therefore, these cookies are used for online ad targeting. These cookies are anonymous, storing information about the content viewed, not about the users.
To make it easier to understand why we need them, we have classified our cookies into the following categories:
f. Strictly Necessary: These are used to optimize our work on the site. These cookies do not collect information about you that could be used for advertising or for recording your activity on the internet. Without these cookies, the site will not function correctly. Therefore, if you block these cookies, we cannot predict how the site will perform for you.
For Performance: These are used to analyze how our site works and how we can improve it, for example, which pages are most visited and whether you encounter error messages. These do not collect information that can identify you, all data being anonymous.
By using our site, you consent to the use of “performance” cookies.
If you block them, we cannot predict how the site will perform for you.
You can choose to block or allow the use of these cookies, but blocking them may mean we cannot provide certain services. Blocking them may also prevent us from remembering that you did not want a particular service.
If you prefer, you can opt-out of them. Content personalization means that it includes information reflecting your interest in the content of our pages or offers or promotions we think might interest you, and helps us improve how we respond to your needs.

X. Cookies We Use:

XI. How Can You Disable Cookies?

Disabling and refusing to accept cookies can make certain websites impractical or difficult to visit and use. Refusing to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive/view online advertising.
It is possible to set your browser to no longer accept these cookies, or you can set the browser to accept cookies from a specific site. However, for example, if you are not logged in using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.
All modern browsers provide the option to change cookie settings. These settings are typically found in the “options” or “preferences” menu of your browser.
To understand these settings, the following links may be useful, or you can use your browser’s “help” option for more details:
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Safari
For third-party cookie settings, you can also consult the site:
http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/
Useful Links
If you want to learn more about cookies and their uses, we recommend the following links:
All About Cookies
Microsoft Cookies guide

XII. Storing the Information Captured by Cookies

The information obtained by cookies is stored securely by the web server, namely the server that hosts our website.
We assure you that our web server must comply with high-security requirements regarding the information collected by cookies, being required to strictly follow the obligations imposed by the applicable law.
The information we collect about you through access to our website will not be shared with third parties.

XIII. Personal Data Security

To protect the confidentiality of your data and personal information transmitted through the use of this website, we will maintain physical, technical, and administrative safeguards.
We continuously update and test our security technology. In addition, we train our employees about the importance of confidentiality and maintaining the confidentiality and security of your information.
If a personal data breach occurs, we will do everything possible to eliminate it and assess the risk level related to the breach in accordance with our personal data breach policy. If the breach is likely to result in physical, material, or immaterial harm to you (e.g., discrimination, identity theft, fraud, or financial loss), we will contact you without undue delay, unless the law provides otherwise. All our actions will be taken in full cooperation with the competent supervisory authority.

XIV. Security Aspects Related to Cookies

Cookies ARE NOT viruses! They use plain text formats and are not made up of code fragments, so they cannot be executed or self-run. As a result, they cannot duplicate or replicate over networks to run or replicate again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.
However, cookies can still be used for negative purposes. Since they store information about user preferences and browsing history both on a specific site and across multiple sites, cookies can be used as a form of spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this and consistently mark cookies for deletion during anti-virus/anti-spyware scanning processes.
In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, expiration periods, and automatic deletion after the user visits a certain site.
Since identity protection is very valuable and is the right of every internet user, it is important to understand the potential issues cookies might cause. Since information is constantly transmitted between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes in the transmission of data, the information contained in cookies can be intercepted. Although this is very rare, it can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (e.g., an unsecured Wi-Fi network).
Other cookie-based attacks involve incorrect cookie settings on servers. If a website does not request that the browser use only encrypted channels, attackers can exploit this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information over unsecured channels. Attackers then use this information to gain unauthorized access to certain websites. It is very important to be cautious in choosing the most appropriate method of protecting personal information.

XV. Changes to the Cookie Policy

We may update this information document from time to time by publishing a new version on this website.
Since laws regarding personal data protection, interpretations by state authorities, and recommendations by supervisory authorities change and improve periodically, it is expected that this privacy notice and terms of use will also change. We reserve the right to modify this information document at any time, for any reason, and without notice. Any change to our privacy policy will be displayed on this page so that you are aware of our policies. The provisions contained in this document replace any previous announcements or statements regarding our privacy practices and the terms and conditions governing the use of this website.

XVI. Tips for Safe and Responsible Browsing Based on Cookies

Due to their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and major websites use cookies, they are nearly inevitable. Disabling cookies will prevent access to the most common and widely used sites, including YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo, and others.
Here are some tips that can help you browse safely with the use of cookies:

• Personalize your browser settings regarding cookies to reflect a level of security that is comfortable for you.
• If cookies do not bother you and you are the only person using the computer, you can set long expiration periods for storing browsing history and access data.
• If you share access to the computer, consider setting your browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close the browser. This is an option to access sites that place cookies and delete any browsing information when the session ends.
• Constantly install and update anti-spyware applications.
  Many anti-spyware applications include detection of attacks on websites. They prevent the browser from accessing sites that may exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software. Make sure to keep your browser updated. Many cookie-based attacks exploit weaknesses in older browser versions.
  Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest websites on the Internet—whether local or international. With a clear understanding of how they work and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures to browse the internet with confidence.

XVII. Questions, Concerns, Complaints

If you have any questions regarding the use of your personal data, wish to exercise your rights, have concerns or complaints, or would like to update or correct your personal data, please contact us by sending an email to our Data Protection Officer at the following email address: contact@arads.ro. If you do not wish for us to use the information you have provided, please send us an email with the subject “Do not use my data” and your name to the email address mentioned above.