Cookie Notice 🍪

1. Introduction

This Cookie Notice explains how BrightForge Studio Ltd. ("we", "us", or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website at www.brightforgestudio.com. We are committed to being transparent about the technologies we use and the data we collect. This notice forms part of our overall approach to protecting your privacy, and should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

BrightForge Studio Ltd. is the data controller for the purposes of this Cookie Notice. We are registered in Ireland with company number 642817 and our registered address is Unit 4, Naas Enterprise Park, Naas, Co. Kildare, W91 X4P2, Ireland.

By continuing to use our website after being presented with the cookie consent banner, and by clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of cookies as described in this notice. If you click "Reject Non-Essential", we will only place cookies that are strictly necessary for the functioning of the website. You can change your cookie preferences at any time using the methods described in Section 6 below.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit a website. They are widely used across the internet to make websites work more efficiently, to provide a better browsing experience, and to supply information to website owners about how visitors interact with their pages.

Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" based. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you close your browser and are used the next time you visit the same website. Session cookies are temporary and are deleted from your device once you close your browser window.

Cookies can also be categorised by who sets them. "First-party cookies" are set by the website you are visiting directly. "Third-party cookies" are set by a domain other than the one you are visiting, typically by services embedded in the website such as analytics or advertising tools.

In addition to cookies, we may also use similar technologies such as web beacons (also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs), local storage, and similar mechanisms. Where we refer to "cookies" in this notice, we include these similar technologies unless stated otherwise.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorise the cookies used on our website into three main groups. Below, we explain each category in detail, including the specific cookies used, their purpose, and how long they remain on your device.

4. Legal Basis for Using Cookies

Under the European Union's ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2009/136/EC), as transposed into Irish law through the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 336 of 2011), and in conjunction with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"), we rely on the following legal bases for placing cookies on your device:

• Strictly necessary cookies: These do not require your consent as they are essential for the functioning of the website. Their legal basis is our legitimate interest in providing you with a working website and maintaining its security (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).
• Analytics cookies: These are placed only after you have given your explicit consent by clicking "Accept All" on our cookie banner. The legal basis is your consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)).
• Marketing cookies: These are placed only after you have given your explicit consent by clicking "Accept All" on our cookie banner. The legal basis is your consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)).

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that was carried out based on your consent before it was withdrawn. Please see Section 6 below for details on how to withdraw consent or manage your cookie preferences.

5. What Data Is Collected Through Cookies?

The data collected by cookies on our website varies depending on the type of cookie. Below is a summary of the categories of personal data that may be collected:

• Technical data: Your IP address (which may be anonymised for analytics purposes), browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution, and device type.
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on each page, links clicked, scroll depth, referral source (how you arrived at our website), and the date and time of your visit.
• Preference data: Your cookie consent choice, language preference, and session-related preferences such as whether a popup has been displayed.
• Advertising identifiers: If you consent to marketing cookies, unique identifiers assigned by advertising platforms (such as Meta) to recognise you across sessions and serve relevant advertising.

We do not use cookies to collect sensitive personal data such as health information, religious beliefs, or political opinions. The analytics data we collect is aggregated and used to understand general trends in website usage rather than to build individual profiles.

Where analytics or marketing cookies involve the transfer of personal data to third-party providers (such as Google or Meta), such transfers are governed by those providers' own privacy policies and data processing agreements. We have ensured that appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses where data is transferred outside the European Economic Area. For further details on data sharing and international transfers, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

6. How to Manage and Delete Cookies

You have several options for controlling and managing the cookies placed on your device:

6.1 Through Our Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner appears at the bottom right of the screen. You can click "Accept All" to consent to all cookie categories, or click "Reject Non-Essential" to only allow strictly necessary cookies. Your choice is stored in your browser's localStorage so that the banner does not appear again on subsequent visits. To change your preference after your initial choice, clear your browser's local storage for our website (instructions below) and the banner will reappear on your next visit.

6.2 Through Your Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find cookie management options in your browser's "Settings", "Preferences", or "Privacy" section. The exact steps vary by browser. Below are links to cookie management guides for the most popular browsers:

• Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Apple Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies and site data
• Opera: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies

Please note that blocking all cookies may affect the functionality of our website and many other websites you visit. Some features may not work correctly if cookies are disabled entirely.

6.3 Through Third-Party Opt-Out Tools

For analytics and marketing cookies specifically, you can also opt out through the following tools provided by the third-party cookie providers:

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: Google provides a browser add-on that allows you to opt out of Google Analytics across all websites. This is available for most major browsers.
• Meta (Facebook) Ad Preferences: You can manage your ad preferences within your Facebook account settings under "Ad Preferences" to control what data is used for advertising.
• Your Online Choices (EU): The European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance provides a platform at youronlinechoices.eu where you can manage preferences for many advertising cookies from multiple providers in one place.

6.4 Deleting Existing Cookies

You can delete cookies that have already been placed on your device through your browser settings. Navigate to the cookies or site data section of your browser settings, search for "brightforgestudio.com", and delete the associated cookies. To clear localStorage data (which stores your cookie consent preference), you will need to access your browser's developer tools or clear all site data for our domain. After deleting cookies, you may need to re-enter preferences or log in again on websites where you had saved settings.

7. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that sends a signal to the websites you visit, indicating that you do not wish to be tracked. There is currently no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. As a result, our website does not currently respond to DNT signals. However, we respect your cookie preferences as set through our cookie consent banner and provide you with the ability to opt out of non-essential cookies as described in this notice. We will continue to monitor developments regarding DNT standards and update our practices accordingly.

8. Cookies and Children

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly place analytics or marketing cookies on the devices of children under 16 without parental consent. If we become aware that a child under 16 has provided consent to non-essential cookies without parental approval, we will take steps to remove the relevant cookies and associated data. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child's device has received non-essential cookies from our website, please contact us at the details provided in Section 11 below.

9. Changes to This Cookie Notice

We may update this Cookie Notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the cookies we use, or applicable legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes that affect how we process your personal data through cookies, we will present the cookie consent banner again so that you can review and update your preferences.

We recommend reviewing this notice periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. The current version of this Cookie Notice will always be available at this URL.

10. Relationship with Our Privacy Policy

This Cookie Notice should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy, which provides comprehensive information about how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data. The Privacy Policy covers data collected through all means, including but not limited to cookies, forms, emails, and direct interactions with our customer support team.

Our Terms of Service set out the rules and conditions governing your use of our website. Our Disclaimer provides additional information about the limitations of liability associated with the content and products on our website.

11. Your Rights Under GDPR

Where cookies collect personal data, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you that was collected through cookies.
• Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure: You can request that we delete personal data collected through cookies where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
• Right to restrict processing: You can request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: You can object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as the legal basis.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time by managing your cookie preferences as described in Section 6.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12 below. We will respond to your request within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), which is our lead supervisory authority. The DPC can be contacted at 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland, or through their website.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Notice, about the cookies we use, or about how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

For privacy-specific enquiries, you may also contact our data protection lead directly at [email protected]. We aim to respond to all enquiries within five working days.