Cookie policy

What we use, why, and how to change your choices at any time.

Last updated: August 2026 — version 1

Changing your choices: use the Cookie preferences button in the footer of any page to open the preferences panel. You can switch individual categories on or off and save. Your choice takes effect immediately and is stored for 180 days. Because consent is stored in your browser, changing your choice on one device or browser does not affect other devices or browsers.

What this policy covers

This policy covers cookies, localStorage, and sessionStorage set on ito.ms (this website). UK law treats all of these identically — they are all forms of storage on your device and require the same legal basis to set.

It does not cover the itoms platform at app.ito.ms, which has its own authentication cookies that are strictly necessary for the service to function. Those are described in our Privacy Policy.

1. Strictly necessary

Strictly necessary storage cannot be switched off. This includes the consent preference cookie and the itoms content feed widget. The widget is the core product demonstrated on this site — it is operated by itoms Ltd (the same company) and does not transmit data to any third party.

Name Type Set by Purpose Expires
itoms_consent Cookie itoms Ltd (first party) Stores your cookie preference (accepted or refused categories) so we do not re-prompt on every visit. 180 days
itoms_anim_seen_<slug> localStorage itoms widget (first party on ito.ms) Remembers that you have seen the widget entrance animation so it does not replay on subsequent visits. Persistent (until cleared)
itoms_voter_id localStorage itoms widget (first party on app.ito.ms) Identifies your device for poll voting so duplicate votes from the same device are not counted. Persistent (until cleared)

2. Analytics

We use Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors use this site — which parts are read, where people scroll to, and where they encounter difficulties. Clarity uses session recording and heatmaps. No personally identifiable information is intentionally captured. We do not use Clarity data for advertising.

International transfer: data is sent to Microsoft Corporation, based in the United States. Microsoft participates in the UK–US Data Bridge and publishes the legal basis for this transfer in its Privacy Statement.

Name Type Set by Purpose Expires
_clck Cookie Microsoft Clarity (first party on ito.ms) Stores a unique visitor identifier used to link sessions across visits. 1 year
_clsk Cookie Microsoft Clarity (first party on ito.ms) Stores information about the current session. Session
_cltk sessionStorage Microsoft Clarity Tab-level token used to link events within a single browser tab. Session

Microsoft's full cookie list: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clarity/setup-and-installation/cookie-list.
Microsoft Privacy Statement: privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement.

Nothing loads before you choose

On first visit, this site loads no analytics scripts until you make a choice. The itoms widget loads immediately as it is the core product of this site. Accepting analytics causes Clarity to load. Rejecting means Clarity never runs in that session. This is enforced in code, not policy.

Revoking your choice

Use the Cookie preferences button in the footer of any page. When you refuse a category that was previously accepted, the page reloads to ensure any already-loaded scripts do not continue running. First-party cookies set by those vendors are deleted at that point. Third-party cookies on vendor domains (for example, .clarity.ms) cannot be deleted by this site's JavaScript — the only reliable way to remove those is to clear your browser's cookies manually, or use a browser extension for that purpose.

Per browser and per device

Your choice is stored in a cookie on the device and browser you used when you made it. It does not apply to other browsers on the same device, or to other devices. There is no account-level consent sync.

Contact and complaints

For questions about this policy: privacy@ito.ms or itoms Ltd, 66 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NA.

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your privacy rights have not been respected: ico.org.uk.