Cookie policy
Which cookies can appear on the site: none for readers by default, a sign-in cookie for editors, a Cloudflare bot check, and partner cookies after a click.
Last updated 14 Oct 2026
Reading the magazine puts no cookies from us in your browser. There is no analytics cookie and no advertising cookie of our own. A few cookies can still turn up in specific situations, and this page lists all of them.
Cookies that can be set
| Cookie | Set by | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editors' sign-in cookie | This site | Only when an editor signs in to the dashboard | Keeps the editor signed in |
__cf_bm |
Cloudflare | Possibly on any visit | Helps tell people from automated traffic |
| Partner cookies | Amazon, CJ and advertisers | After a click on an affiliate link or banner, or when a banner image loads from the network | Credit a purchase to the site that sent you |
The editors' sign-in cookie
This cookie exists only for the people who run the site. It is set when an editor signs in to the dashboard and keeps that session open until they sign out or it expires. It is strictly necessary for the dashboard to work, and readers never receive it.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare protects the site against attacks and automated abuse. To do that it may set a cookie called __cf_bm, which helps it distinguish people from bots. It expires after 30 minutes of inactivity and is not used for advertising or to follow you across other sites.
Partner cookies
Some pages contain affiliate links to Amazon and to advertisers in the CJ (Commission Junction) network, and some show partner banners. When you click one, you land on the partner's site, and that site sets its own cookies so a purchase can be credited to us. Banner images are loaded from the network's servers, so the network can also read or set its own cookies when a banner appears on a page. These cookies are controlled by the partners, not by us, and their own cookie and privacy policies apply. Our privacy policy explains what data is involved.
Blocking or deleting cookies
You decide what your browser keeps. Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge all let you view, block and delete cookies in the privacy section of their settings, for all sites or for one site at a time. A few practical options:
- Block third-party cookies to stop banners from setting cookies while you read here.
- Delete cookies for a single partner site after you have visited it.
- Use a private window, which discards its cookies when you close it.
Blocking cookies won't stop you reading anything on this site. If you block partner cookies, a purchase you make may simply not be credited to us, which costs you nothing.