If Request explicit consent to cookies from users is checked in your program (found in the Manage workspace under Settings > Users > Registration), a 'Cookies in use' banner will appear to all visitors of your program when they visit for the first time, or after clearing their browser cache. (You can read more about our Data protection preparation / configuration options here.)
This banner has selectable options to Accept only necessary cookies, Choose cookies, or Accept all cookies.
What the banner buttons mean
If Accept only necessary cookies is selected, only cookies that are required for the proper functioning of Award Force will be used.
If Accept all cookies is selected, all four types of cookies - Necessary, Analytics, Social sharing, and Marketing cookies will be used.
If Choose cookies is selected, additional options appear, allowing the user to choose which cookies they wish to accept.
What the 'choose cookies' options mean
Necessary
Necessary cookies are required for the proper functioning of Award Force and therefore no consent is required for their collection.
Analytics
These cookies are for things like Google Analytics. Should a program add a Google Analytics code via Settings > General > Account, a cookie will be added that is classified under Analytics.
Social sharing
These cookies are for the social sharing buttons users see on the home page, voting pages, and entry submission page. If users do not accept social sharing cookies, they will not be able to see the buttons. If a user has accepted social sharing cookies, they will see the buttons. The buttons are linked to the user's social accounts and the display order of the buttons will be based on the activity of the individual user.
Marketing
Marketing cookies such as those used by Facebook for their pixel code and Google's GTM are used to deliver targeted marketing to users.
Why aren't the boxes pre-checked?
Award Force adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standard. The rules included in GDPR dictate that Award Force must inform users that cookies are in use, what those cookies are doing and why, and that consent is required before cookies can be utilised. Consent must involve action from the user, like checking a box to indicate a conscious and deliberate decision.
Pre-checked boxes do not amount to valid consent under GDPR and therefore we cannot pre-check any boxes except for Necessary. Checkboxes must be checked in order for analytic or marketing tracking codes to work.
Our cookie policy
The cookie banner includes a link to the Award Force cookie policy.
If you wish to link to your own cookie policy, you may do so by updating the link in the Manage workspace under Settings > Content > Content blocks > Cookie notice and under Settings > Users > Registration > under 'Agreement to terms' in the Consent section.