This page is the technical companion to our privacy policy. It lists the categories of cookies that may be set when you visit Africa Center and gives you direct routes to opt out of each.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store. Cookies let a site remember things between page loads — for example, that you previously dismissed a notice, or that an analytics tool has counted you once. Similar technologies include local storage, IndexedDB, and pixel tags. We treat them all under the umbrella term "cookies" on this page.
Cookies set by Africa Center itself
The site does not set its own first-party tracking cookies. We do not run accounts, comment threads, shopping carts, A/B tests, or personalisation features that would require cookies of our own.
Your browser may store a small amount of local-storage data when you use the interactive map (/maps/) — this caches map tiles so the page loads faster on a return visit. It is not used to identify you and never leaves your browser.
Third-party cookies that may be set
Analytics — Google Analytics 4
We use Google Analytics 4 to count page views and understand which pages readers find useful. Google Analytics sets cookies on the africacenter.net domain (first-party from your browser's perspective, but the data is processed by Google).
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique browsers | up to 2 years |
_ga_<id> | Google Analytics 4 | Persists session state for GA4 | up to 2 years |
To opt out, install Google's Analytics opt-out browser add-on, or block analytics cookies for this domain in your browser settings.
Advertising — Google AdSense
This site participates in the Google AdSense advertising programme. Google and its advertising partners use cookies on this and partner sites to choose which ads to show you. You can read Google's own description in their advertising and privacy policy.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
NID / __Secure-1PSID and similar | google.com | Stores Google account / ad preferences | up to 13 months |
IDE | doubleclick.net | Ad targeting and frequency capping | up to 13 months |
__gads / __gpi | googlesyndication.com | AdSense ad delivery | up to 13 months |
You have direct control over how Google personalises advertising:
- Google Ad Settings — turn off personalised ads or review interests Google has associated with you.
- YourOnlineChoices (EEA / UK) — opt out of behavioural advertising from many vendors at once.
- aboutads.info/choices (US) — Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out.
Even when personalised advertising is off, you may still see ads on the site — they will simply be selected based on the page topic rather than your browsing history.
Other third parties that may set cookies
The interactive map page loads tile imagery from OpenStreetMap infrastructure and the Leaflet library from the unpkg.com CDN. These services may set technical cookies for their own caching and abuse-prevention purposes; they do not receive personal data from us beyond your IP address, which is required to deliver the response. Google Fonts serves typography in the same way.
How to manage cookies in your browser
Every modern browser lets you view, block, and delete cookies. The settings are usually under "Privacy" or "Security":
Blocking all third-party cookies will switch off the analytics and advertising cookies described above without affecting your ability to read the site. If you also enable Global Privacy Control (GPC) in a supporting browser, that signal is honoured by Google's ad systems where applicable.
Children
The site is a general-audience reference and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly target advertising at children.
Changes to this policy
If the cookie set on the site changes — for example, if we add or remove a vendor — we will update this page and refresh the "Last reviewed" date below.
Questions
For any cookie-related question, write to [email protected] with "Cookies" in the subject line, or use the contact page.
Last reviewed: 28 April 2026