Adam Szokol

Code, Freedom, and an Open Internet

Cookie Policy

Last Updated: November 28, 2025

1. About This Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how I, Adam Szokol, use cookies and similar technologies on adamszokol.com (the “Site”). It should be read together with my Privacy Policy, which explains how I process personal data more generally.

When I say “cookies”, I also include similar technologies like local storage, pixels, tags, and SDKs that may store or access information on your device.​

By continuing to use my Site after seeing a cookie banner or preferences panel, you can choose to accept, reject, or customize which non‑essential cookies are used, depending on your location and applicable law.​

2. What Cookies Are

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer, phone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, to keep them secure, to remember your preferences, and to provide analytics and personalized content or advertising.

Some cookies are set directly by my Site (“first‑party cookies”). Others are set by third parties whose services I use (“third‑party cookies”), such as Automattic, Google, Stripe, and social media platforms.

3. Legal Basis and Consent

Generally, I must:

  • Use strictly necessary cookies without consent where they are essential for the operation of the Site.

  • Obtain prior, informed consent before using non‑essential cookies, such as analytics, advertising, and most social/embedded content cookies.

  • Allow you to withdraw or change your consent at any time.

I seek consent through a cookie banner or preferences panel that lets you:

  • Accept all non‑essential cookies.

  • Reject all non‑essential cookies.

  • Choose categories (e.g., analytics, advertising, social/embeds).

4. Types of Cookies I Use

4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are required for the Site to function and cannot be switched off in my systems. Without them, core features like logging in, security, and basic page navigation would not work properly.

Examples include:

  • Session cookies used by WordPress.com and Jetpack for authentication and secure login.

  • Security cookies (including those used by Jetpack Protect, Akismet, and other security tools) to detect spam, brute‑force attacks, and malicious activity.

  • Load‑balancing and infrastructure cookies set by Automattic to keep the Site fast and stable.​

You can block these cookies in your browser, but parts of the Site may not work correctly.

4.2 Preference and Functional Cookies

These cookies remember choices you make, such as language, display options, or other customizations, and may also support enhanced features like comment likes or saved login states.

Examples include:

  • WordPress.com cookies that remember your login state, comment form details (if you choose to save them), or Gravatar preferences.

  • Cookies used by Jetpack or theme components to remember layout or interface preferences.

These cookies are typically optional but may be treated as necessary for specific requested features (for example, “remember me” at login).

4.3 Analytics and Performance Cookies

Analytics cookies help me understand how visitors use the Site so I can improve content, navigation, performance, and security. I do not use analytics to identify individual users directly unless you are logged in to a WordPress.com account and Automattic processes data under its own policies.

Examples include:

  • WordPress.com stats cookies: track page views, referrers, and aggregate visitor behavior on the Site.

  • Google Analytics cookies: track sessions, pages visited, referrers, approximate location (based on IP), device type, browser type, and other usage metrics.

Where required by law, these cookies only run after you have given consent via the cookie banner or settings. You can opt out of Google Analytics more broadly using the Google Analytics Opt‑out Browser Add‑on.

4.4 Advertising and Marketing Cookies

My Site may display advertisements through Jetpack Ads and similar Automattic programs. These use cookies and similar technologies to show ads, measure their effectiveness, and prevent you from seeing the same ad repeatedly.

These cookies may:

  • Assign your browser a unique identifier.

  • Collect IP‑based approximate location and device information.

  • Track which pages or posts you visit on my Site and, in some cases, across other sites that show similar ads.

Automattic and its ad partners describe their own cookie usage in their Privacy Policy which you can review for lists of advertising partners and more technical information.

Advertising cookies are always considered non‑essential and are used only with your consent where required.

4.5 Social Media and Embedded Content Cookies

When I embed content or social features from third‑party platforms, those services may set their own cookies and collect data even if you do not have an account with them.

Examples include:

  • YouTube videos embedded in posts or pages (Google LLC through Youtube LLC).

  • X (formerly Twitter) posts, timelines, or buttons (X Corp.).

  • Meta (Facebook, Instagram) embedded posts, like/share buttons, or widgets (Meta Platforms, Inc.).

These cookies can be used for:

  • Providing the embedded functionality (playing a video, showing a social post).

  • Measuring engagement with the embedded content.

  • Personalizing content and advertising on those third‑party platforms.

Where feasible, I try to use privacy‑enhanced modes (for example, YouTube’s privacy‑enhanced mode), but third‑party tracking may still occur when you interact with the content.

5. Third‑Party Providers and Their Policies

Because many cookies on my Site are set or read by third‑party services, you can learn more about their practices in their own documentation:

These companies are separate controllers or processors of the data they collect through their cookies and serve their own cookie notices and preference tools.

6. How You Can Manage Cookies

6.1 Through My Cookie Banner or Settings

Where provided, you can manage your cookie preferences at any time by:

  • Using the cookie banner when you first visit the Site; and

  • Clicking a “Cookie Settings,” “Privacy Settings,” or similar link in the footer or on the banner to reopen the preferences panel​

Through these tools you can:

  • Accept all non‑essential cookies.

  • Reject all non‑essential cookies.

  • Choose specific categories (for example, only functional and analytics, but not advertising).

  • Withdraw or change your consent at any time.

6.2 Browser Controls

Most browsers let you:

  • View the cookies stored on your device.

  • Delete some or all cookies.

  • Block or restrict cookies from specific sites.

  • Set your browser to block all cookies (though this may break some functionality).

Instructions can usually be found in your browser’s help section. You can also visit resources such as https://www.aboutcookies.org/ for more information.

6.3 Opt‑Out Tools

In addition to my own settings and browser tools, you can use:

  • The Google Analytics Opt‑out Browser Add‑on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

  • Platform‑specific controls for Meta, X, Google, and others, which often allow you to manage ad personalization and tracking preferences in your account settings.

  • Global Privacy Control (GPC) and similar browser‑based signals, which I and/or my service providers respect where required by law as a request to opt out of certain data “sales” or “sharing” for targeted advertising.

7. Retention of Cookie‑Related Data

Cookie data is usually stored for different periods depending on the purpose:

  • Session cookies typically expire when you close your browser.

  • Persistent cookies may remain on your device for a period ranging from a few hours to several years, unless you delete them earlier through your browser or cookie‑preferences tools.

I aim to configure cookies and tools to keep data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy and my Privacy Policy, and to rely on aggregated or pseudonymized data where feasible.

8. Changes to This Cookie Policy

I may update this Cookie Policy from time to time, for example when I add new services, change providers, or when cookie‑related laws and guidance evolve.

When I make material changes, I will:

  • Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page;

  • Update the cookie banner or preferences interface if required; and

  • Where appropriate, display a notice on the Site and/or notify registered users.

Your continued use of the Site after an updated Cookie Policy is posted means you accept the changes, so please check this page regularly.

9. Contact Me

If you have questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy or my use of cookies and similar technologies, you can contact me at:

Adam Szokol
Email: adam@adamszokol.com
Contact form: https://adamszokol.com/contact

For more information about how I process personal data, your rights, and how to exercise them, please read my Privacy Policy.

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