Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently and to provide information to the website operator. Cookies are stored in your browser and are sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognizes that cookie.

Similar technologies include web beacons, pixel tags, and local storage objects. These function in comparable ways and may be used alongside cookies to collect information about how visitors interact with websites. This policy refers to all such technologies collectively as "cookies" unless a specific distinction is relevant.

Cookie Categories We Use

We categorize the cookies on this website according to their function and the basis on which they are used. The categories below reflect the structure of our cookie consent mechanism and align with industry standard classifications used by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Google's Consent Mode framework.

The four categories are: Strictly Necessary, Analytics, Preference, and Third-Party. Each is described in detail in the sections that follow. You can adjust your consent for non-essential categories at any time through the cookie settings accessible from the consent banner or by returning to this page and using the controls provided.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of this website and cannot be disabled without affecting core functionality. They do not require your consent under applicable law because they are technically necessary.

Consent preference cookie. Name: sik_consent. This cookie stores your cookie consent preferences so that the consent banner does not appear on every page visit. It records which categories of cookies you have accepted or declined. Duration: 365 days. Set by: Sikole.

Session management. Basic session cookies may be used to maintain continuity as you navigate between pages. These cookies expire when you close your browser and contain no personally identifiable information beyond a session identifier.

Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with this website by collecting information in aggregated, anonymized form. This information is used to improve the structure, content, and performance of the platform over time.

These cookies may collect data on pages visited, time spent on each page, navigation paths through the site, and the general geographic region of visitors. No data collected through analytics cookies is used to identify individual users.

We may use Google Analytics, which sets cookies on your device to collect usage data. When analytics cookies are enabled, Google Analytics operates under its own terms of service and privacy policies. When they are disabled, no analytics data is collected during your visit.

Analytics cookies are only activated when you consent to this category through our cookie consent mechanism. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Preference Cookies

Preference cookies allow the website to remember choices you make, such as display settings or other personalization options that affect how the website appears or behaves. These cookies do not collect information that could be used to identify you outside of this website.

At present, preference cookies on this website are limited in scope. If additional preference-based functionality is added in the future, this section will be updated to reflect those changes.

Preference cookies require your consent and are only activated when you accept this category through the consent banner.

Third-Party Cookies

Certain functionality on this website may involve third-party services that set their own cookies on your device. These include the Google Maps iframe used on our contact page, which may set cookies from Google's domain, and any external analytics or performance monitoring tools we use.

Third-party cookies are governed by the privacy policies of the respective third parties, not by this policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of services whose cookies may be active on your device. Where third-party cookies require consent, they are included within the relevant category above and are only activated based on your consent selections.

Cookie Duration

Cookies are classified by duration as either session cookies or persistent cookies.

Session cookies are temporary and expire when you close your browser. They do not remain on your device after your browsing session ends.

Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined period after your browsing session ends. The consent preference cookie sik_consent is a persistent cookie with a lifespan of 365 days from the date it is set or last updated. Analytics cookies set by Google Analytics have varying durations as specified in Google's documentation.

Managing Cookies Through Your Browser

All modern browsers provide settings that allow you to view, delete, and block cookies. The method varies by browser. Below are links to cookie management instructions for common browsers:

Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data. Mozilla Firefox: Options > Privacy and Security > Cookies and Site Data. Apple Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data. Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data.

Blocking all cookies will affect the functionality of many websites, including this one. Blocking strictly necessary cookies will prevent the consent preference from being saved, meaning the consent banner will appear on every visit. We recommend managing cookie preferences through our consent mechanism rather than blanket browser-level blocking where possible.

Our Consent Mechanism

When you first visit sikole.info, a consent banner appears in the top-left corner of the screen. This banner describes the categories of cookies used on the site and provides controls to accept all, accept only necessary cookies, or open a settings panel to make category-level selections.

Your preferences are stored in the sik_consent cookie and respected on all subsequent visits for up to 365 days. You may revisit and update your preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in the footer or by clearing the consent cookie from your browser, which will cause the banner to reappear.

Consent for non-essential cookies is not a condition of access to any content on this website. Declining analytics or preference cookies does not restrict your ability to read any educational content on the platform.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy when we add new functionality, integrate new third-party services, or when applicable regulations change. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects when the most recent revision was made. Significant changes to how we use cookies will be communicated through an updated consent notice on your next visit.

Contact

For questions about this Cookie Policy or the specific cookies used on this website, contact us:

Sikole
393 N Euclid Ave Suite 216
St. Louis, MO
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 314-757-4506