Cookies
Cookie policy
Cookies are small text files that may be placed on your computer when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work and to make them more efficient. Cookies also help website owners understand how you use the site so that they can make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Find out how to manage cookies on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
How we use cookies on Kent.gov.uk
Understanding how our website is used
Google Analytics (Universal Analytics)
We use Google Analytics to collect information about how you use this website (kent.gov.uk). We do this to help make sure the site is meeting your needs and to make improvements based on our findings.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- the pages you visit on Kent.gov.uk
- the time you spend on each page
- how you got to the site
- what you click on while you’re visiting the site
We don’t collect or store your personal information (for example your name or address) so we can’t identify who you are.
We don’t allow Google to use or share our analytics data.
Google Analytics use the following cookies:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | This helps us count how many people visit our website by tracking if you’ve visited before. | 2 years |
| _gid | This helps us count how many people visit our website by tracking if you’ve visited before. | 24 hours |
| _gat | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made | 1 minute |
| _gat_rollup | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made. | 1 minute |
Google Analytics (ga.js) library
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| __utma | Like _ga, this lets us know if you’ve visited before, so we can count how many of our visitors are new to our website or to a certain page | 2 years |
| __utmb | This works with _utmc to calculate the average length of time you spend on our website | 30 minutes |
| __utmc | This works with _utmb to calculate when you close your browser | When you close your browser |
| __utmz | This tells us how you reached the website (for example from another website or a search engine) | 6 months |
You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies.
Hotjar
We sometimes run studies using Hotjar, which is a tool that helps us understand how users interact with the website.
The technology gives us information such as how much time users spend on a page, and what they choose to click on so that we can see what’s working well and what isn’t. We use this information to make improvements to the site to help users find what they’re looking for as easily as possible. We also use Hotjar to get feedback from users.
Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect information on the user such as their:
- behaviour
- device type
- IP addresses (stored anonymously)
- screen size
- browser
- geographic location (country only)
- preferred language
Hotjar stores this information in a pseudonymized user profile. Neither Hotjar nor we will ever use this information to identify individual users or to match it with further data on an individual user. Find out how Hotjar manages data for more information.
You can stop Hotjar from collecting your data by opting out on their website.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _hjClosedSurveyInvites | Used to ensure that the same invite to a Feedback Poll does not re-appear if it has already been shown. | 365 days |
| _hjDonePolls | Used to ensure that the same feedback poll does not re-appear if it has already been filled in. | 365 days |
| _hjMinimizedPolls | Used to ensure that the Feedback Poll widget stays minimized when the visitor navigates through our site. | 365 days |
| _hjDoneTestersWidgets | This cookie is set once a visitor submits their information in the Recruit User Testers widget. It is used to ensure that the same form does not re-appear if it has already been filled in. | 365 days |
| _hjMinimizedTestersWidgets | This cookie is set once a visitor minimizes a Recruit User Testers widget. It is used to ensure that the widget stays minimized when the visitor navigates through our site. | 365 days |
| _hjDoneSurveys | This cookie is set once a visitor completes a survey. It is used to only load the survey content if the visitor hasn't completed the survey yet. | 365 days |
| _hjIncludedInSample | This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate Heatmaps, Funnels, Recordings, etc. | 365 days |
| _hjShownFeedbackMessage | This cookie is set when a visitor minimizes or completes Incoming Feedback. This is done so that the Incoming Feedback will load as minimized immediately if user navigate to another page where it is set to show. | 365 days |
YouTube
We use YouTube to embed videos on some pages of the site. YouTube sets cookies when you visit one of these pages to give us information on the number of times a video is viewed and the type of browser used to view it.
For more information visit the YouTube Privacy and Safety Centre.
Vimeo
We use Vimeo’s embeddable video player to show video content on some pages of the site. Vimeo sets cookies that they consider essential to the video player experience.
For more information read the Vimeo cookie policy.
GovMetric
We use GovMetric to capture users’ feedback. Further information about how GovMetrics works and what information they use can be found on the GovMetric privacy page.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| AWSELB | Used for load balancing. | 5 minutes |
| AWSELBCORS | Used for load balancing. | 5 minutes |
Enabling website functionality
Our cookie banner
You may see a notification when you visit our website to let you know that we are using cookies.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| complianceCookie | Used to prevent the cookie banner from showing repeatedly. | 365 days |
Alert messages
We might display a message on our website to tell you about an important event or situation. We use local storage to help us update alert messages periodically.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| globalAlertContent (local storage) | Used to store contents of the current global alert and display it if it is switched on. | Does not expire |
| globalAlertLastChecked (local storage) | Used to determine the time of the last check for an updated global alert. | Does not expire |
| globalAlertToggle (local storage) | Used to determine whether or not to display the global alert. | Does not expire |
| globalAlertContent (local storage) | Used to store contents of the current global alert and display it if it is toggled on. | Does not expire |
Squiz Matrix
We use the following cookie to authenticate users:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| SQ_SYSTEM_SESSION | Used primarily to enable login functionality to enable our content editors to make changes to our website. | Expires when the browser session ends |
Open Objects on local.kent.gov.uk
The directory on local.kent.gov.uk uses the following cookies:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| complianceCookie | Used to remember dismissal of the cookie banner to prevent it from popping up again. | 365 days |
| __KBLoggedIn__ | Used to check if a user has signed into the website. Toggles various site features only accessible by account holders. | Expires when the browser session ends |
| __KBCookie__/kent/directory/ | Used to store directory information such as saved shortlist records. | Expires when the browser session ends |
| kbroker_presence_controller (local storage) | Used to store website accessibility settings. | Does not expire |
| JSESSIONID | Used for session management. | Expires when the browser session ends |
Open Objects on local.kent.gov.uk also uses the Google Analytics (ga.js) library cookies.
iCasework
We use the iCasework software to manage customer feedback (including complaints) about KCC and its services.
It uses session cookies when you submit your feedback using our online form. These help to maintain your place in the online form as you complete it.
See our Customer Feedback Privacy Notice for more information.
Mailchimp
We use Mailchimp to manage our email updates for residents. Mailchimp automatically places single pixel images, also known as web beacons, in every email sent by us through their system. These are tiny graphic files that contain unique identifiers that enable Mailchimp to recognize when people have opened an email or clicked certain links. These technologies record email address, IP address, date, and time associated with each open and click for a campaign. Mailchimp uses this data to create reports about how an email campaign performed.
We also use Mailchimp’s “Landing Pages” service for our sign up page, with the “Track with Mailchimp” option activated. This feature uses additional cookies or tracking technologies that allow us to track unique visits to the landing page and calculates the conversion rate by comparing the number of unique visits to the number of end users who subscribe.
Find out more information about Mailchimp cookies by visiting the Mailchimp website.
Ask a Kent Librarian
We use software provided by Springshare to provide the Ask a Kent Librarian service. The link on our page takes you to their system. They use cookies to store your GDPR consent and manage your session.
Read the Springshare privacy policy and Springshare GDPR compliance statement for more information.