Cookie Policy
Cookie Policy
Last updated: June 2026
This Cookie Policy provides comprehensive information about the use of cookies and comparable storage technologies on harbingertribune.com pursuant to § 25 of the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG), Art. 5 para. 3 of the ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC as amended by Directive 2009/136/EC, and the relevant provisions of the GDPR.
1. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet) when you visit a website. They can be read again on subsequent visits. In addition to classic HTTP cookies, other storage technologies exist:
- Local Storage: A persistent browser storage area without automatic expiration, not transmitted automatically with every HTTP request. Typical capacity: 5–10 MB per origin.
- Session Storage: Similar to Local Storage, but limited to the duration of a browser session. Data is deleted when the browser tab is closed.
- IndexedDB: A structured browser database for larger amounts of data.
- Browser Fingerprinting: Techniques for identifying devices based on technical characteristics (screen resolution, fonts, browser plugins, etc.) — we do not use this technique.
Under § 25 TDDDG (the German implementation of Art. 5 para. 3 of the ePrivacy Directive), storing information on and accessing stored information from users' terminal equipment is generally subject to a consent requirement, unless storage is strictly technically necessary.
2. Technologies Used on This Website
We use exactly two storage technologies on harbingertribune.com:
| Name | Type | Provider | Purpose | Category | Legal Basis | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hpm_cookie_consent |
Local Storage | First-Party (own operation) | Storing your cookie consent decision and timestamp | Technically necessary | § 25 para. 2 No. 2 TDDDG; Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR | Until manually deleted by the user |
hpm_accessibility |
Local Storage | First-Party (own operation) | Storing your accessibility preferences (font size, contrast, underlined links, reduced motion, readable spacing) set via the accessibility widget | Technically necessary | § 25 para. 2 No. 2 TDDDG (feature explicitly requested by the user); Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR | Until manually deleted by the user or reset via the widget |
3. Technically Necessary Technologies
The hpm_cookie_consent and hpm_accessibility entries are technically necessary within the meaning of § 25 para. 2 No. 2 TDDDG. Without hpm_cookie_consent, it would not be possible to:
- Store your consent decision and respect it on subsequent page visits
- Display the consent banner only once rather than on every page visit
- Fulfil the documentation obligation under Art. 7 para. 1 GDPR (demonstrating that consent was given)
Without hpm_accessibility, your accessibility preferences (a feature explicitly requested by you via the accessibility widget) could not be remembered between page visits, and you would need to re-select them every time.
No consent is required for technically necessary technologies pursuant to § 25 para. 2 No. 2 TDDDG. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR (fulfilment of the legal obligation to document consent) for hpm_cookie_consent, and Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interest in providing a requested accessibility feature) for hpm_accessibility.
4. Cookie Categories Not in Use
Analytics and Statistics Cookies
We do not use any cookie-based web analytics services, including: Google Analytics (Universal Analytics or GA4), Google Tag Manager, Adobe Analytics, Matomo, Piwik PRO, Plausible Analytics, Fathom Analytics, Simple Analytics, Heap, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or comparable services. We do use Vercel Web Analytics, a cookie-less, anonymous tool for aggregate visitor counts — see our Privacy Policy for details.
Marketing and Advertising Cookies
We display no advertising and deploy no advertising cookies, including: Google Ads, DoubleClick, Facebook Pixel, Google Remarketing, Criteo, The Trade Desk, or comparable services.
Social Media Cookies
We use no embedded social media plugins from Facebook/Meta, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, or other platforms that automatically transmit data.
Functional Cookies
We do not use cookies for language settings or other personalisation beyond technically necessary baseline functionality, with one exception: the hpm_accessibility Local Storage entry described above, which stores display preferences you explicitly set via the accessibility widget (see our Accessibility Statement).
5. Managing Your Local Storage
The quickest way to change your choice — including whether Vercel Web Analytics is active — is to click the cookie icon in the bottom-right corner of the page, available at any time, or Cookie Settings in the website footer. Either one reopens the consent panel, where you can accept, decline, or set individual preferences; your updated choice takes effect immediately and does not require clearing browser storage manually.
You can delete the hpm_cookie_consent local storage entry at any time via your browser's developer tools:
Google Chrome / Microsoft Edge
Press F12 → Application tab → Storage → Local Storage → harbingertribune.com → select hpm_cookie_consent → press Delete.
Mozilla Firefox
Press F12 → Storage tab → Local Storage → harbingertribune.com → select hpm_cookie_consent → press Delete.
Apple Safari
Enable Developer menu (Safari → Settings → Advanced → Show Develop menu) → Develop → Show Web Inspector → Storage → Local Storage → harbingertribune.com → delete hpm_cookie_consent.
6. Effect of Deletion
Deleting hpm_cookie_consent removes your stored consent decision. The consent banner will reappear on your next visit to harbingertribune.com.
7. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update this Cookie Policy when we introduce new technologies or legal requirements change. The date of the last update is shown above.
8. International Applicability
This Cookie Policy is designed to meet cookie and local-storage disclosure requirements beyond the EU/EEA as well, including the CCPA/CPRA (California), the UK GDPR, the LGPD (Brazil), PIPEDA (Canada), the Privacy Act 1988 (Australia), the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (India), the Personal Information Protection Act (South Korea), the PIPL (China), the PDPA (Singapore), and the APPI (Japan). Because we use only strictly necessary local-storage items and the cookie-less Vercel Web Analytics tool described above, no additional jurisdiction-specific cookie consent obligations arise beyond what is already described in this policy.
9. Supervisory Authorities (EU/UK Residents)
Although, for the reasons explained in our Privacy Policy, we do not consider ourselves subject to the jurisdiction of EU/UK supervisory authorities on a targeting basis, if you are located in the EU, EEA, or United Kingdom and believe such an authority nonetheless has jurisdiction over a cookie- or storage-related concern, the principal supervisory authorities are:
- Germany (BfDI): www.bfdi.bund.de
- France (CNIL): www.cnil.fr
- UK (ICO): ico.org.uk
- Italy (Garante): www.garanteprivacy.it
- Spain (AEPD): www.aepd.es
- Netherlands (AP): www.autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl
- Ireland (DPC): www.dataprotection.ie
Wherever you are located, you are welcome to raise any concern directly with us first at the contact details below; we handle all such requests under the same standards regardless of where you are located.
10. Contact
For questions about this Cookie Policy: support@harbingerpressmedia.com