Cookies
“Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.”
From the Information Commissioner’s Office – see Privacy notice (Information Commissioner’s Office)
Website operators are now required by law – specifically the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (UK Regulations) – to provide clear and comprehensive information about the use of cookies, and ensure that users have consented to this use.
Types of cookie
There are four types of cookie:
- Strictly necessary – Technically essential to the provision of the LSE website. For example, some cookies are used to enable secure login to restricted areas.
- Performance – Monitor and assess the LSE website and its use. For example, recording visits to reveal how a website is used and which parts are most popular.
- Functionality – Enable additional functionality to improve user experience. For example, recording settings for future visits so as to save users having to repeat making the same choices.
- Advertising/targeting – Use an identification number to monitor personal preferences for the purposes of personalising pages and gathering further information. For example, presenting adverts or promotions for products similar to those previously viewed or purchased.
LSE’s use of cookies
The LSE website is a large and complex service comprising 42 sub-sites at the core (main, staff and students (intranet), Library, academic departments (x23) and research centres (x16)), various peripheral sub-sites (eg LSE Venues), and numerous web-based applications (eg LSE blogs, Moodle, LSE for You).
Various cookies are in use across the LSE website, with the cookies in use subject to changes as the website develops. The following table details the cookies used on the LSE website following our latest audit (May 2012).
| Cookie | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | ||
| BadBehaviour | bb2_screener_ | Used to facilitate identifying misuse of web-based services eg spamming. |
| Contensis | ASP.NET_SessionId | Used to enable state for interactive services, such as forms, and to enable authorisation to access restricted areas of the LSE website. |
| LSE Central Authentication Service | JSESSIONID | Used to facility authorisation to access restricted areas of the LSE website. |
| WordPress | PHPSESSID | Used to enable state for interactive services, such as forms, and to enable authorisation to access restricted areas of the LSE website. |
| Performance | ||
| AddThis | __atuvc | Used to display counts of the number of pages on this website shared with social networks and other services. |
| Digital analytic | ns_cookietes | Used to monitor usage of the LSE website. This information allows LSE to assess how the LSE website is used. Anonymous data about usage (eg number of visitors, visitors’ country, number of times each page is visited) is collected and aggregated to produce usage reports |
| ns_sessio | ||
| Google Analytics | __utma | Used to monitor usage of the LSE website. This information allows LSE to assess how the LSE website is used. Anonymous data about usage (eg number of visitors, visitors’ country, number of times each page is visited) is collected and aggregated to produce usage reports. |
| __utmb | ||
| __utmc | ||
| __utmv | ||
| __utmz | ||
| QuantCas | __qc | Used to monitor usage of the LSE website. This information allows LSE to assess how the LSE website is used. Anonymous data about usage (eg number of visitors, visitors’ country, number of times each page is visited) is collected and aggregated to produce usage reports |
| WassUp | wassup | Used to monitor usage of the LSE website. This information allows LSE to assess how the LSE website is used. Anonymous data about usage (eg number of visitors, visitors’ country, number of times each page is visited) is collected and aggregated to produce usage reports. |
| wassup_screen_res | ||
Manage cookies
If you wish to control or prevent the use of these cookies, please edit the settings of your web browser. For instructions, see How to control cookies (AboutCookies.org).
Further information
Comprehensive information about cookies can be found at AboutCookies.org and AllAboutCookies.org.