Cookie Policy

Last updated: 22 October 2026

1. What this policy covers

This Cookie Policy explains how northandhabit.info uses cookies and similar browser storage. Cookies are small pieces of information that a website can ask a browser to remember between requests. Some support essential features; others can be used for preferences or optional measurements. Our current site uses browser storage to remember cookie choices and PHP sessions for the contact form. The information below describes the intended behaviour of this version of North & Habit. A cookie or browser-storage value does not necessarily identify a person by name, but can still qualify as personal information depending on its content and how it is used.

2. Essential session cookies

The contact form relies on a PHP session to preserve a verification token across the page load and submission. This helps the server distinguish a normal visitor interaction from an unwanted cross-site request. The session identifier is stored as a cookie, normally with controls such as HttpOnly and SameSite, and is not intended to hold the message text in the browser. Essential session technology also allows the site to keep track of a brief post-submission interval. Without the session, form submission may not work reliably. Essential cookies are used for functional security and do not depend on selecting an optional cookie category.

3. Remembering your choice

When you choose an option in the cookie notice, the website stores a preference in your browser using localStorage. This record indicates which option you selected and when it was selected. It allows the banner to stay closed during later visits in the same browser. The preference is not a commercial advertising profile and is not used to identify you for a newsletter. If browser storage is cleared, if you use another device or if you open the site in a different browser profile, you may be asked to make a choice again. You can reopen the choices using the Cookie preferences link in the footer.

4. Available controls

The notice currently offers Accept all, Preferences only and Essential only. Each button records the corresponding choice and closes the notice. At present, this build does not install third-party advertising trackers or analytics scripts, so choosing one option rather than another does not activate an advertising network. The categories are provided so that visitors can express a preference clearly. If optional services are introduced in future, they must be documented here and implemented so that consent is respected before those services are used where required. An interface label by itself does not grant permission for undisclosed tracking.

5. What we do not place by default

North & Habit does not currently include marketing pixels, advertising conversion scripts or a service that builds personal audience profiles from the pages you read. The site loads its photographs from local WebP files. It also uses external font files supplied through Google Fonts, which means a browser request may be made to that provider when fonts load. That request is separate from our local cookie-preference record and is subject to the relevant provider’s technical operations. We aim to avoid unnecessary tracking and keep the website focused on reading articles and receiving editorial messages.

6. How to change browser settings

Most browsers allow users to inspect or remove cookies and website storage, block cookies from particular domains and limit storage more generally. The exact controls depend on the browser, operating system and version. Clearing cookies can end a current session and may make the contact form require a page refresh. Clearing localStorage removes the saved cookie choice, causing the banner to appear again. Blocking all cookies may disrupt essential form protection. For the most accurate instructions, consult your browser’s own settings or help pages rather than assuming all browser menus look the same.

7. Duration of storage

A browser session cookie normally remains available for the session and may have an expiry set by PHP or the server configuration. The localStorage preference remains until it is cleared by the browser, by the visitor or by a website update that changes the way preferences are stored. We do not use these items to promise indefinite account access. Hosting systems may maintain routine technical logs that are separate from browser cookies and subject to their own retention needs. See our Privacy Policy for a description of the types of information that may be processed when the site is accessed or a message is submitted.

8. Other websites

Our journal includes occasional links to public information sources and other independent websites. When you follow a third-party link, that destination may use cookies, local storage or other technologies not controlled by North & Habit. We encourage you to look at the other site’s own cookie and privacy notices if you want to understand those practices. External references do not mean that North & Habit controls the technology or content of the linked service. Likewise, a browser extension may add or change storage behaviour without that activity originating from our website.

9. Changes to cookie practices

If we introduce a new function that uses non-essential browser storage or third-party tracking, we will review the applicable consent requirements and update this page. Changes may also affect the choices shown in the banner or the way a saved preference is interpreted. Where appropriate, the site should ask visitors to make a new selection rather than assume an old choice applies to a materially different purpose. We may also revise descriptions to clarify how a current feature works, or to respond to changes in the law, the browser environment or the underlying technology.

10. Contact and related information

Questions about cookies, stored preferences or the contact form can be sent to [email protected]. Please mention that your enquiry concerns website storage so that the appropriate details can be reviewed. You do not need to send screenshots containing unrelated personal information. Our Privacy Policy explains how personal details submitted through the contact form are handled, while our Terms of Use describes the general rules for the journal. This policy is intended to provide a transparent explanation of the actual website features and will be reviewed as the project develops.