Cookie Policy

Help & FAQ / Cookie Policy

Cookie Policy

  • Introduction

    This Cookie Policy describes the different types of cookies and related technologies (collectively, "Cookies") which may be used on websites and apps, where Global Sources acts as data controller.

    We use "Cookies" for the following reasons:

    • To make the website function properly for you and to enable you to make use of the services we provide.

    • To remember your preferences and make the site easier for you to use.

    • To collect information about how you use our website, which is then anonymized and used to help us improve our services - cookies for this purpose are often described as analytical cookies.

    • To collect information about your subjects of interest and use this to serve content on our sites and on other websites.

    By means of this Cookie Policy we are seeking to give you clear and comprehensive information about the "Cookies" we use, including how to reject or block them. Some are essential for the operation of our websites, others are not. Opting out or blocking some cookies may affect the functionality of these sites. We want to be open about the way we use cookies and to help you make informed choices about their use.

    As we change the features on our websites, we will review this policy and update it to include details of any new cookies applied. Please refer to the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page to see when this Policy was last revised.

    Please note that we process your data using servers and storage facilities located in Hong Kong, and to the extent that information collected through Cookies and similar technologies constitutes personal information, the provisions in our Privacy Policy apply and complement this Cookie Policy.

  • Contact Details

    If you have any questions, concerns or comments, or if you require any help on cookie-related matters, please contact us by:

  • What are "Cookies"?

    Browser Cookies (aka HTTP Cookies)

    Browser Cookies are small text files that hold a certain amount of data, which our site can send to your browser to be stored on your device (e.g. your computer, tablet or smartphone). These can be accessed by our web server and retrieved to allow us to customize our web pages and services for you. We want our site to be informative, personal, and to provide you with a good experience when you use the service, and cookies help us improve the service to achieve that goal.

    There are several types of browser cookies:

    • First-Party: These cookies are created by the website the user is visiting. By default, first-party cookies are allowed in every web browser. If you were to disable first-party cookies, a website may not keep track of your activity as you move from page to page. For example, you would be unable to purchase multiple items online in the same transaction. Each time you added something to the cart from another page on the site, it would be treated as a new order, etc.

    • Third-Party: Some cookies on the website and other parts of the service are managed by third parties. They may be used to support analytical, advertising or social media functions provided by these third parties to site users and or Global Sources. You should refer to the third parties’ own cookie and privacy policies for information about how they may use your information.

    • Session Cookies: These types of cookies are stored only temporarily during a browsing session and are deleted from your device when you close the browser (although there may be a small delay in some instances before expiration, such as mobile browsing). These may be first or third-party cookies. We use Session Cookies to support the functionality of the Site and to understand your use of the Site.

    • Persistent Cookies: These types of cookies are not deleted when you close your browser but are saved on your device for a fixed period of time, depending on the lifetime of the specific cookie or until you delete them. These may be first or third-party cookies. Each time you visit the Site, the server that sets the cookie will recognize the persistent cookie saved on your device. We and others use persistent Cookies to store your preferences, so that they are available for your next visit, to keep a more accurate account of how often you visit the Site, how often you return, how your use of the Site may vary over time and the effectiveness of advertising efforts.

  • Web Beacons

    Web beacons (also called clear GIFs or pixel tags) are tiny graphic images or lines of code placed in Online Services or in emails that include a unique identifier to allow us (and/or third parties) to determine unique user visits and whether you have performed a specific action. When you access these pages or open or click an email, these technologies generate a notice of that action. These tools are often used in conjunction with HTTP cookies and are generally used to measure responses to communications and improve Online Services and promotions.

  • Embedded Scripts

    An embedded script is programming code that is designed to collect information about your interactions with Online Services, such as links clicked. The code is temporarily downloaded to your device from Global Sources or a third-party service provider and is active only when you are connected to the Online Service.

  • Local Shared Objects (LSO) & Local Storage

    • Flash Cookies (aka Local Share Objects): We may also use "Flash Cookies" on our sites for some of our animated content. They are used in the same way as other cookies – to store information you provide such as settings, preferences, and usage. These provide additional features to improve your experience; however, they use a different technology than browser cookies. Removing or rejecting browser cookies via a browser setting does not necessarily affect Flash Cookies. See here to remove or disable a Flash Cookie.

    • Local Storage (e.g., device or HTML5 local storage and caching): HTML5 uses the local storage of the device that accesses the Online Services. The Online Services may record information in local storage and read it when it is needed.

  • Our Use of Cookies

    We use cookies on our websites and mobile apps for a variety of reasons as indicated below.

    • Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are required for the operation of our websites. These are essential to enable you to move around and use our sites' features. Without these cookies, services such as registering for an account, cannot be provided. We use them to remember you as having logged in, enabling you to use inquiry and shopping basket as well as other functions such as sending/receiving Requests for Information.

    • Performance Cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website. The information these cookies collect is aggregated for anonymous reporting. They allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it, which pages visitors go to most often, etc. We use this information to monitor site performance, count page visits, spot technical errors, see how users reach the Site, measure the effectiveness of advertising (including emails we send to you) in order to improve our websites and to aid us in investigating problems raised by visitors.

    • Functionality Cookies: These cookies are used to recognize you when you return to our website and allow them to remember choices you made in order to provide more personal features and personalized content to improve your experience. For instance, a functional cookie can be used to remember settings such as your language, display or content preferences. Some Functional Cookies are essential for viewing maps or videos on our site. Please note that we use functionality cookies to track user visit data anonymously but can link them to personal data if a visitor has provided it to us through a registration profile in order to communicate personalized content such as new product recommendations or articles. Disabling Functional Cookies may make specific functions not work as intended and may impair usability of the system or service. If you wish to opt-out from receiving personalized content please Contact Us.

    • Targeting or Advertising Cookies: Based on your interests and visit patterns, these cookies allow us and other advertisers to deliver the most relevant products, offers, and advertisements on our site and third-party sites, e.g. on search engines, social media sites, or through email and other message platforms. For example, some Advertising Cookies help our service providers and other advertisers to select advertisements that are based on your interests, including those expressed or inferred by visits to our websites or apps or across other websites, online services, and apps over time. Others help prevent the same advertisement from continuously reappearing for you. Advertising Cookies also include Social Plug-In Cookies, which are used to share content from the Site with members and non-members of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. These cookies are usually set by the social networking provider, enabling such sharing to be smooth and seamless.

  • Managing Cookies

    We appreciate that some users may like individual control over their visit to our website and may want to adjust their settings accordingly. However, if you choose not to accept cookies from our website or disable them, you may not be able to use or access some of our site services or features which require these cookies to function and we cannot guarantee that your experience will be as fulfilling as it would otherwise be. You may find the following helpful to explain how to manage cookies.

  • Browser Cookies

    There are a number of ways to manage these "cookies". For example:

    • You can decide to accept or decline all or some of the cookies being sent by modifying the settings in your browser.

    • You can also set-up your browser to warn you every time a cookie is sent, so that you can review each cookie before you decide whether or not to accept it.

    • You can delete any cookies that have been installed in the cookie folder of your browser.

    To access and change your browser's cookie settings or manage stored cookies, search for and select "cookies" from the browser "Help" function and follow the instructions. These will vary by browser and possibly between versions of the same browser. If you use different computers in different locations to access our website, you will need to ensure that each browser is adjusted to suit your cookie preferences.

    For more information please visit the Official Support Pages for your browser

    For Cookies used in emails and other communications, you may limit their use by setting your email client to display HTML emails as text only. Please consult the "Help" section of your email client for more information.

  • Adobe (Flash) Cookies

    Visit the Flash Player security and privacy section on the Adobe website.

    If you disable Flash cookies, you may not be able to take advantage of all of the features of the Online Services. Also check the help on your browser. Some versions have functionality to block Flash Cookies.

  • HTML5 Local Storage

    It may be possible to block or delete HTML5 local storage functionality from your browser's settings. Without HTML5, you may not be able to take advantage of all of the features of the Online Services.

  • Web Beacons

    Beacons are generally used in conjunction with browser cookies. If you delete or decline the use of browser cookies via browser settings, beacons may not be able to function properly

  • Embedded Scripts

    This is mostly associated with the use of 3rd Party Cookies. Users may opt-out of a third party remarketing vendor's use of cookies by visiting the relevant advertising opt-out page of that particular remarketing vendor's website (see here or by visiting the general Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out page, where applicable).

    You may disable the use of Google Analytics by using the link "Disable Google Analytics" which creates an opt-out cookie that prevents the further processing of your data. Also, you can prevent Google’s collection and use of data (cookies and IP address) by downloading and installing the browser plug-in. For more information about Google Analytics cookies, please see Google's help pages and privacy policy at Data Privacy and Security and How Google Uses Cookies.

  • 3rd Party Cookies - Additional Details

    This section enumerates the 3rd Party Cookies used on our site with links to more information including to third party privacy and cookie policies.

  • Advertising

    • Bing Ads
      Bing Ads is a service that provides Pay Per Click advertising on both Bing and Yahoo! Search engines. A pixel is used to track conversions from Bing Ads.
      Microsoft Privacy Policy & Microsoft Privacy Dashboard

    • DoubleClick (Double Click Ad Exchange, Double Click Bid Manager, Double Click Floodlight)
      DoubleClick, owned by Google, develops and provides internet ad serving services. It allows clients to traffic, target, cross promote, deliver and report on their interactive advertising campaigns.
      How DoubleClick Uses Cookies & How Google Uses Cookies

    • Google AdWords Conversion & Google Dynamic Remarketing
      Google AdWords is an online advertising service developed by Google, where advertisers pay to display brief advertising copy, product listings, and video content within the Google ad network to web users. Google AdWords' system is based partly on cookies and partly on keywords determined by advertisers
      How Google Uses Cookies

    • Yahoo Analytics & Yahoo Dot Tag (In June 2017, Yahoo and AOL had joined to become Oath)
      Dot Tags are Yahoo's universal tracking tag. Dot Tags are used to track performance and optimize search, native and display campaigns. Yahoo Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Yahoo that tracks and reports website traffic to inform decision making and strategy for Yahoo Native Ad Campaigns.
      Oath Cookies & Similar Technologies
      Oath Analytics

  • Analytics

    • Google Analytics & (GA Audience)
      Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. We use Google Analytics to understand how our media campaigns work and how you interact with our website in order to improve the user experience.
      Google Analytics & Google Analytics Opt out tool NB sets an Opted out cookie & How Google Uses Cookies

    • Sensors Data
      Our website uses privately deployed Sensors Data SDKs to record information about which pages you have landed on and how you have navigated through the site. It is used to build up a profile of a user’s website usage to establish common surfing patterns and to recognize returning visitors from information that is not personal data. Sensors Data as a tool provider cannot obtain any customer data.
      Sensors Data Privacy Policy

  • Functional

    • Certona
      A small java script on our site places an anonymous cookie for tracking and passes visit data to Certona to generate personalized online and email recommendations.
      Certona Privacy Policy

      To opt-out of Certona Personalization, contact our Service Team or Data Protection Officer.

    • Google Tag Manager
      Google Tag Manager is a tag management system that allows you to quickly and easily update tags and code snippets on a website or mobile app, such as those intended for traffic analysis and marketing optimization.
      Google Tag Manager & How Google Uses Cookies

    • Google maps
      These cookies are used by Google to track how many people are using their maps.
      How Google Uses Cookies

  • Social Media

    • Facebook Pixel Code & Facebook Custom Audience
      The Facebook pixel is an analytics tool that helps us measure the effectiveness of our advertising on the Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network. We use the Facebook pixel to understand what actions people take on our sites in order to generate audience lists using Facebook Custom Audience that are used to target adverts to those audiences.
      Facebook Pixel & Facebook: Control the Ads you See

    • LinkedIn Insight Tag & LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
      The LinkedIn Insight Tag is a piece of lightweight JavaScript code that we add to our website. As a LinkedIn Marketing Solutions customer, we use the LinkedIn Insight Tag to track conversions, retarget website visitors, and unlock additional insights about members interacting with the ad campaigns we run on LinkedIn.
      LinkedIn Conversion Tracking & LinkedIn Cookie Policy

    • YouTube
      We embed videos or insert links to videos from YouTube (a Google Company) on our website(s). As a result, when you visit a page with content embedded from or linked to YouTube, you may be presented with cookies from YouTube.
      How Google Uses Cookies

  • Other sites

    • PayPal
      If within Global Sources sites, a visitor selects PayPal for payment processing, Global Sources will hand over the visitor into the PayPal system. All payment processing is outside the control of Global Sources and cookies may be set by PayPal.
      https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full

    • Escrow.com
      If within Global Sources sites, a visitor selects Escrow.com for payment processing, Global Sources site will hand over the visitor into the Escrow.com system. All Payment processing is outside the control of Global Sources and cookies may be set by Escrow.com.
      https://www.escrow.com/legal

    • Tencent
      Global Sources provides a facility for visitors to Chat with advertisers. If visitor chooses to use this function, Global Sources will hand over visitor into the Tencent system. All Chat processing is outside control of Global Sources and cookies may be set by Tencent.
      https://intl.cloud.tencent.com/document/product/301/9247

  • Further Reading

    To find out more about cookies, visit All About Cookies.org and/or Cookie Central.

    For more information on the EU Cookie Directive, visit Cookiepedia at http://cookiepedia.co.uk/eu-cookie-law.

    The Digital Markets Act (DMA) can be found at http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj.

    A guide to behavioral advertising and online privacy has been produced by the internet advertising industry which can be found at http://www.youronlinechoices.eu.

    A number of third-party companies that use Targeting or Advertising Cookies are members of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI). Individuals may opt out of targeted advertising delivered by NAI member ad networks by visiting http://optout.networkadvertising.org.

    Also, there are industry self-regulatory programs to provide individuals with choices related to seeing interested-based ads from participating companies.

  • Last updated date: 19 February 2024 version 1.5

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