What are Cookies
A "cookie" is a text file containing small amounts of information which a server downloads to your personal computer (PC) or mobile when you visit a website. The server then sends a cookie back to the originating website each time you subsequently visit it, or if you visit another website which recognises that cookie.

There are different types of cookies which are used to do different things, such as letting you navigate between different pages on a website efficiently, remembering preferences you have given a website, and improving your overall experience. Others are used to provide you with advertising which is more tailored to your interests, or to measure the number of site visits and the most popular pages users visit.

Some cookies are allocated to your PC only for the duration of your visit to a website, and these are called session based cookies. These automatically expire when you close down your browser.Another type of cookie known as a "persistent". These cookies would remain on your PC for a period of time.

What are the new rules?
Website operators already have to give users information about the cookies they use and why they use them. Now they also have to have your consent to use them.

In order to comply with these new rules, BT have developed a system of classifying the different types of cookies which we use on our sites, or which may be dropped by third parties through our websites. This systemof classification is based on the purpose the cookies are used for, and also determines the way we will ask for your consent to use them. BTIreland.com only uses ‘Performance cookies’.

How we ask for your consent
As BTIreland.com only uses ‘Performance cookies’, consent is gained by using our site. ‘Performance cookies’ are used only to improve our site or measure response rates. All information collected by these cookies is anonymous and does not in any way impact on your privacy. We need to use them to maintain our site’s effectiveness and ease of use, so we have not provided an opportunity for these to be disabled, and by using our site and online services you are agreeing that we can place these types of cookies on your PC.

How do I change Cookie settings?

We reccomend you use Mozilla Firefox as your browser, not only is our site optimised for this browser, Firefox gives you some of the best control over cookies and all aspect of security and privacy while browsing the internet. However, the process for controlling cookies is similiar in most browsers. Note: Cookies are enabled by default in Firefox.

• At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP) and then click Options
• Select the Privacy panel.
• Set Firefox will: to Use custom settings for history.

• • If you are troubleshooting problems with cookies, make sure Accept third party cookies is also check marked. For more information, see Disable third-party cookies in Firefox to stop some types of tracking by advertisers.
• Choose how long cookies are allowed to be stored:
  • Keep until: they expire: Each cookie will be removed when it reaches its expiration date, which is set by the site that sent the cookie.
  • Keep until: I close Firefox: The cookies that are stored on your computer will be removed when Firefox is closed.
  • Keep until: ask me every time: Displays an alert every time a website tries to send a cookie, and asks you whether or not you want to store it.
• Click OK to close the Options window