Cookie Policy
Last Updated: January 2025
This document explains how BridgeChannel uses tracking technologies on bridge-channel.com. We're sharing this because you should know what happens when you visit our site and how your browser interacts with our systems.
Cookies are small text files. Your browser stores them when you visit websites. They help us remember your preferences and understand how people use our platform. Some are necessary for basic functions, others help us improve your experience.
What We Track and Why
When you browse our site, we collect certain information through cookies and similar technologies. This isn't about surveillance – it's about making the platform work properly and improving how people learn English vocabulary.
We track things like which pages you visit, how long you stay, and what features you use most. If you're logged into your learning account, we remember your progress and preferences. This means you don't have to start from scratch every time you come back.
Essential Cookies
These keep the site functional. Without them, you can't log in, navigate properly, or access secure areas. They're not optional because the platform won't work without them.
Examples: session identifiers, security tokens, language preferences
Functional Cookies
These remember your choices and personalize your experience. They store things like your preferred learning difficulty level and interface settings.
Examples: saved preferences, customized layouts, notification settings
Analytics Cookies
We use these to understand how people interact with our content. They tell us which vocabulary exercises are most helpful and where students get stuck.
Examples: page views, time spent, bounce rates, feature usage
Marketing Cookies
These track your activity across sessions to show relevant information about upcoming programs and learning opportunities that might interest you.
Examples: campaign tracking, referral sources, interest indicators
How Tracking Improves Your Experience
Here's what actually happens behind the scenes. When you complete a vocabulary exercise, cookies help us remember your progress. When you adjust your learning pace, we store that preference so you don't have to set it again.
- Your learning dashboard loads faster because we cache your recent activities and progress data
- Vocabulary exercises adapt to your level based on previous performance stored in functional cookies
- You stay logged in across multiple tabs and return visits without re-entering credentials
- The platform remembers which vocabulary topics you're focusing on this month
- We can suggest relevant learning materials based on your usage patterns
Analytics data helps us spot problems. If many students abandon a particular exercise halfway through, we know something's wrong with it. That's valuable feedback we can't get any other way.
Managing Your Browser Settings
You control cookies through your browser. Most browsers accept them automatically, but you can change this. Be aware that blocking essential cookies will break core functionality – you won't be able to log in or save progress.
Important Note About Restrictions
If you disable all cookies, the learning platform won't function properly. You'll need to allow at least essential cookies to access your account and track vocabulary progress.
Blocking functional and analytics cookies is fine, but your experience will be more generic and we won't be able to personalize content for you.
Chrome and Edge
Go to Settings, then Privacy and Security. Click on Cookies and Site Data. Here you can block third-party cookies or clear existing ones. You can also set exceptions for specific sites like bridge-channel.com.
Firefox
Open Options, select Privacy and Security. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, choose your preference. Standard mode blocks known trackers, Strict mode blocks more but may affect functionality.
Safari
Access Preferences, go to Privacy tab. You can prevent cross-site tracking and block all cookies, though the latter will significantly limit website functionality.
Mobile Browsers
Cookie controls are typically in Settings under Privacy or Site Settings. The exact location varies by browser and device, but the functionality is similar to desktop versions.
Data Retention and Storage
Different cookies last different amounts of time. Session cookies disappear when you close your browser. Persistent cookies stick around longer – sometimes months or even a year.
| Cookie Type | Retention Period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Session Authentication | Browser session only | Keeps you logged in while browsing |
| Learning Preferences | 12 months | Remembers your customized settings |
| Analytics Data | 24 months | Tracks usage patterns over time |
| Marketing Trackers | 6 months | Measures campaign effectiveness |
We automatically delete expired cookies and purge inactive user data according to these schedules. You can also manually clear cookies anytime through your browser settings.
Third-Party Services
We use external services that set their own cookies. Analytics platforms help us understand site performance. These third parties have their own privacy policies that govern how they handle data.
When you interact with embedded content or external tools integrated into our learning platform, those services may track your activity. We try to minimize third-party trackers, but some are necessary for providing features you expect.
Payment processing, for example, requires external services that set cookies for fraud prevention and transaction security. Video content might come from hosting platforms that track viewing data.
Your Rights and Control
You can request details about what data we've collected through cookies. You can ask us to delete this information, though that means losing your learning progress and preferences.
- Access your stored cookie data by contacting our support team
- Request deletion of non-essential tracking data while keeping your learning account active
- Export your learning progress data before clearing cookies
- Opt out of marketing cookies while maintaining functional ones
- Update your privacy preferences anytime through account settings
We respond to these requests within 30 days. Keep in mind that some data needs to be retained for account security and legal compliance.
Updates to This Policy
We update this policy when we add new tracking technologies or change how we use existing ones. Major changes get announced through email notifications to registered users.
Check back occasionally to see what's new. The date at the top shows when we last revised this document. Continuing to use the site after updates means you accept the changes.
Questions About Our Cookie Usage?
If something here doesn't make sense or you want more details about specific tracking technologies, reach out to us. We're based in Vientiane and handle all privacy inquiries directly.
XJ86+7M6, Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane, Laos | +85621487012
contact@bridge-channel.com