COOKIES
This section explains how we use cookies and similar technologies (we’ll refer to them collectively as “cookies”) to recognize you when you visit our Platform. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control them.
What are cookies?
A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser and stored on your computer’s or mobile device’s hard drive. If you do not de-activate or erase the cookie, each time you use the same browser or mobile device to access the Platform, our web servers will be notified of your visit to the Platform and in turn we may have knowledge of your visit and the pattern of your usage.
Cookies set by the website or app owner (in this case, Alibaba.com) are called “first party cookies”. Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called “third party cookies”. Third party cookies enable third party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website (e.g. like advertising, interactive content and analytics). The parties that set these third party cookies can recognize your device both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.
Cookies can also be categorized as session cookies (which are erased once you close the browser or shut down the device) and persistent cookies (which remain even after closing the browser or shutting down the device/application and which are activated each time you visit the Platform). The session cookies use encrypted data to authenticate you. The persistent cookies do not store account numbers or passwords. We use both session cookies and persistent cookies.
Why we use cookies?
We use first and third party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical and/or security reasons in order for our Platform to operate, and we refer to these as “essential” or “strictly necessary” cookies. First party cookies are mainly served to enable basic functionality on our Platform; including web analytics cookies that help us understand how users use our web pages and how we can improve their use. For example we use essential or strictly necessary cookies to enable us to remember goods added to your Alibaba.com shopping basket and to recognize you when you sign into your Alibaba.com account.
In addition we also use social media cookies. You may register for Platform membership and “share” Platform content through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes we embed videos from websites like YouTube. These websites have their own privacy policies which govern their use of information, which you can find on the respective websites.
We also use cookies to enable us to track and target the interests of Platform visitors to enhance the experience on our Platform by researching visiting patterns and conduct interest-based advertising; assisting our partners to track user visits to the Platforms; and to track progress and participation in promotions. We use first and third party cookies for these purposes.
What about other tracking technologies, like web beacons?
Cookies are not the only way to recognise or track visitors to our Platform. We may use other, similar technologies from time to time, like web beacons (sometimes called “tracking pixels” or “clear gifs”). These are tiny graphics files that contain a unique identifier that enable us to recognise when someone has visited our Platform or opened an e-mail that we have sent them. This allows us, for example, to monitor the traffic patterns of users from one page within our Platform to another, to deliver or communicate with cookies, to understand whether you have come to our Platform from an online advertisement displayed on a third-party website, to improve site performance, and to measure the success of e-mail marketing campaigns. In many instances, these technologies are reliant on cookies to function properly, and so declining cookies will impair their functioning.
WHow can I control cookies?
You can determine if and how a cookie will be accepted by configuring the privacy setting of the browser you are using to access the Platform or the “privacy setting” of your device. As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser-to-browser, you should visit your browser’s help menu for more information. If you adjust the privacy setting in the browser, your device will continue collecting data unless you adjust the privacy setting of the device, and vice versa.
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. If you choose to set your web browser controls to reject cookies, you may still use our website though your access to some functionality and areas of our website may be restricted.
You can also control your cookie preferences though the Cookie Preferences Tool https://buyercentral.alibaba.com/privacy/cookie_setting.htm.
In addition, most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or http://www.youronlinechoices.com. Alternatively you can follow the applicable links of the respective third party personalization cookie provided in the table above for details of how to opt out of use of particular advertising or personalization cookies.
Certain features of the Platform depend on cookies. Please be aware that if you choose to block cookies, you may not be able to sign in or use those features, and preferences that are dependent on cookies may be lost. Google Analytics (More information) Our Platform uses Google Analytics, an internet analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google’s cookies allow us analyze use of the Platform by telling us which pages our users are viewing, which ones are most popular, what time of day our Platform are visited, if users have previously visited our Platform, from which website users are redirected to our Platform were and the like. The data generated by the cookie about your use of the Platform will be transmitted to Google and stored by Google on servers in the United States.
The Platform uses an anonymization tool of IP addresses so that the IP addresses are truncated within the territory of the Member States of the European Union and the other members of the agreement on the European Economic Area. The non-truncated IP address are only exceptionally transmitted to Google’s servers in the US and then truncated there.
Google uses the data on behalf of Alibaba.com to evaluate your use of the Platform, to compile reports on website activity for the website operators and for other website activity and internet usage services. Google may disclose this information to third parties under the terms of the law or for further processing by third parties on behalf of Google. For more information about Google Analytics cookies, visit:
o the Google Help pages and Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy:
https://policies.google.com/privacy; and
o the Google Analytics Help Center:
https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage
The IP address that your browser will pass on to Google Analytics will not be associated with any other data stored by Google. Through your browser settings, you can block cookies; however, this can lead to problems with the use of some functionalities of the website. Through the add-on “Google Analytics Opt-out” you can through your current web browser opt-out to the use of Google Analytics from then on: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. More information can be found here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245