This Cookie Policy explains how Ascend ("we," "us," or "our"), operated by ApexID, uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website and Service. This policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.
2. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies for several purposes, which can be categorized as follows:
a. Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for you to browse the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the site. Without these cookies, services like user authentication and session management cannot be provided. You cannot opt-out of these cookies.
- Firebase Authentication Cookies: We use Firebase (a Google service) for user authentication. When you sign in, Firebase sets cookies to manage your session, keep you logged in, and ensure the security of your account. These are crucial for the functioning of our authenticated services.
b. Functional Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your username, language, or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. While they enhance user experience, they are not strictly necessary for the core service to function but are important for specific UI features.
- Sidebar Preference Cookie (`sidebar_state`): We use a cookie named `sidebar_state` to remember your preference for whether the application sidebar is expanded or collapsed. This helps maintain your user interface preference across sessions. Our cookie banner does not currently provide an option to disable this specific cookie, as it primarily affects UI display.
c. Analytics Cookies (Optional)
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. These cookies are optional, and you can control their use via our cookie consent banner.
- Google Analytics Cookies: If you consent, we use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our Service (e.g., _ga, _gid, _gat). This includes the number of visitors, where they came from, and the pages they visited. We use this information to compile reports and improve the Service. Our use of Google Analytics is for internal analysis to understand user engagement. We do not use this data for targeted advertising by third parties.
3. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner. This banner allows you to:
- Accept All: This will enable essential, functional, and optional analytics cookies.
- Decline Optional: This will enable essential and functional cookies but will keep optional analytics cookies (like Google Analytics) disabled.
Your preference is stored in your browser's local storage (under the key `cookie_consent_status`) and will be respected on subsequent visits. You can typically change your cookie settings at any time by clearing your browser's cookies for our site, which will cause the consent banner to reappear.
Most web browsers also allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Please note that if you disable or refuse strictly necessary cookies through browser settings, some parts of our Service may become inaccessible or not function properly, especially those relying on Firebase Authentication.
To opt-out of Google Analytics tracking specifically (even after accepting), you can use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
4. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Cookie Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Cookie Policy periodically for any changes.
5. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, please contact us by referring to the contact information provided in our Privacy Policy or email us directly at privacy@ascendeducation.co.