We use a variety of tracker methods; six of the main types are explained below. This list is intended to include all categories that we use, although the categories may vary depending on the use of our site.

We use trackers to enable our servers to recognize your web browser and tell us how and when you visit and otherwise use the services through the internet, to analyze trends, and to learn about our user base so that we can improve our services and your experience.

We may combine non-personally identifiable information collected through trackers with other personal information that we have about you, for example, to tell us who you are or whether you have an account. We may also supplement the information we collect from you with information received from third parties in order to enhance our services, or to offer you information that we believe may be of interest to you.

Please reference the descriptions below to learn more about the kinds of trackers we use and for what purpose.

A) Cookies

A cookie is a small string of text that a website (or online service) stores on a user’s browser. It saves data on your browser about your visit to our site or other sites. It often includes a unique identifier (e.g., cookie #123).

“First-party cookies” are cookies set by us (or on our behalf) on our site. “Third-party cookies” are cookies set by other companies whose functionality is embedded into our site (e.g., google.com).

“Session cookies” are temporary cookies stored on your device while you visit our site. They expire when you close your browser. “Persistent cookies” are stored on your browser for a period of time after you leave our site. Persistent cookies expire on a set expiration date, or when they are deleted manually.

We use persistent cookies to store your preferences so that they are available for the next visit. This allows us, for example, to keep a more accurate account of how often you visit our services, how often you return, how your use of the services may vary over time, to target advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising efforts. Just like any other usage information we collect, this information allows us to improve the services and customize your online experience.

You can choose whether to accept cookies by editing your browser settings. However, if cookies are refused, your experience on our site may be worse, and some features may not work as intended.

B) Pixels

Pixels (also known as “web beacons,” “GIFs” or “bugs”) are one-pixel transparent images located on web pages or messages. They track whether you have opened these web pages or messages. Upon firing, a pixel logs a visit to the current page or message and may read or set cookies.

Pixels often rely on cookies to work, so turning off cookies can impair them. But even if you turn off cookies, pixels can still detect a web page visit.

C) Javascript

JavaScript is a programming language. It can be used to write trackers that, when embedded into a page, allow us to measure how you interact with our site and other sites.

D) Software Development Kits (or SDKs)

SDKs are pieces of code provided by our digital vendors (e.g., third-party advertising companies, ad networks and analytics providers) in our mobile apps to collect and analyze certain device and user data.

E) Device Identifiers

Device identifiers are user-resettable identifiers comprised of numbers and letters. They are unique to a specific device. They are stored directly on the device. They are used to recognize you and/or your devices(s) on, off and across different apps and devices for marketing and advertising purposes.

F) ID Synching

In order to decide what type of ad might interest you, our digital and marketing vendors sometimes link data — inferred from your browsing of other sites or collected from other sources — using a method knowns as “ID synching” or “cookie synching.” To do this, they match the tracker ID they have assigned to you with one or more tracker IDs that are held in another company’s database and that are likely also associated with you. Any of the linked trackers may have certain interests and other demographic information attributed to it. That information is then used to determine which ad to show you.

Below is a list of the types of trackers that appear on our site.

Essential Trackers

Essential trackers are required for our site to operate and to provide you with the features or services that you have requested. They allow you to navigate our site and use its services and features (e.g., cookies that help you stay logged in). Without essential trackers, our site will not run smoothly; in fact, our site (or certain services or features) might not even be available to you simply because of technical limitations.

Analytics Trackers

Analytics trackers collect or use information about your site use, which helps us improve our site. Among the uses of analytics trackers are to show us which pages are most frequently visited, help us record difficulties you have with our site, track subscription purchases and behaviors leading to subscription purchases, and measure how well ads perform.

These trackers add up our readers’ visits to show us larger patterns in our audience. We look at these larger patterns to analyze site traffic.

Marketing Trackers

These trackers help us determine which ads to show you for Times properties — both on our site and on other sites. To do this, these trackers use information about your behavior on various sites to target our ads.

These trackers allow us to limit the number of times you see our ad across your devices. They help us personalize the ads we show you. They also enable us to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns (e.g., measure if you subscribe after seeing our ads).

Advertising Trackers

Advertising trackers help us and our advertising partners to determine which ads from third parties are selected for you. Some of these trackers collect or use information about your behavior and browsing habits on our services and other sites (including the pages you have visited, and the links and advertisements you have clicked). They also collect your demographic details, interests and certain technical information about your browser or device to aid this targeting. These trackers sometimes limit the number of times you see an ad, make an ad more relevant to you or measure the effectiveness of an ad campaign. We may not have control or access to such trackers. If you look at one page on our services, an advertisement may be delivered to you on our services or on other sites, for products referenced on that page or for similar products and services.

We work with advertisers, ad agencies and other vendors to serve these ads, who often use their own trackers through our site. The ads served can include additional trackers which are activated when an ad is visible to you or when you click on or otherwise interact with an ad.

In certain jurisdictions, when you first come to our site, you will receive a banner notification that trackers are present. By clicking or tapping “accept all,” you agree to the use of these trackers as described here. You can manage your tracker settings at any time by clicking on “Manage Privacy Preferences” in our website footer or in your app “Privacy Settings”, or “Account Settings” for the Athletic app.

In addition, you can refuse or accept trackers from our site (or any other site) in your browser’s settings. If you refuse trackers, you might not be able to sign in or use other tracker-dependent features of our site.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but this is typically something you can adjust. Information for each browser can be found in the links below:

• Safari on desktop and Safari Mobile (iPhone and iPads): Note that, by default, Safari is engineered to protect you from being tracked from site to site unless you disable Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP).

• Firefox: By default, Firefox protects you from cross-site tracking so long as you have not disabled Total Cookie Protection. There is therefore less need to manage cookies to protect your privacy.

• Chrome

• Microsoft Edge: Enabling tracking prevention with Edge will protect you from being tracked between sites, such that there will be less of a need to manage your cookies in order to protect your privacy.

• Samsung Internet Browser: By default, Samsung Internet Browser enables the “Smart anti-tracking“ function that will help block third parties attempting to track your personal information.

• Brave: By default, Brave protects you from cross-site tracking by blocking third-party cookies.

For more information about other browsers, please refer to this “All About Cookies” guide. For more information about trackers, including information about how to manage and delete trackers, please visit the ICO’s website.

To opt out of Google Analytics data collection, follow these Google instructions.

To reset your device identifier, follow Google instructions and Apple instructions.

The third-party advertisers, ad agencies and other vendors with which we work may be members of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioural Advertising and/or the European Digital Advertising Alliance (eDAA). To opt out of interest-based advertising from the participating companies, please visit AboutAds.info or the European Digital Advertising Alliance for laptops and NAI Mobile Choices or AppChoices for mobile devices. Note that opting out through these channels does not mean you will no longer see ads and is specific to the device and browser you are using. You will still receive other types of ads from these companies, and any type of ad from nonparticipating companies. The sites you visit may still collect your information for other purposes.

Your browser may offer you a "Do Not Track" option, which allows you to signal to operators of websites and web applications and services (including behavioral advertising services) that you do not wish such operators to track certain of your online activities over time and across different websites. Please note that The Athletic does not support Do Not Track requests at this time, which means that we collect information about your online activity while you are using The Athletic.

Contact Us

If you have any queries regarding this Cookie Policy, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have any questions regarding The Athletic, please contact The Athletic at [email protected].