1. What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device so it can recognise that device later. Similar technologies, such as pixels, local storage and software development kits, do much the same job. In this policy “cookies” covers all of them.
Cookies set by scoreline.co.za are first-party cookies. Cookies set by another company whose service runs on our pages, such as Google, are third-party cookies. We control the first, not the second.
2. Why ScoreLine uses them
Three reasons, and no others:
- To make the Site work. Security, load balancing and remembering your cookie choice and your light or dark mode preference.
- To measure how the Site is used. Which articles are read, how readers arrive, which pages are slow or broken.
- To serve the advertising that pays for our journalism. Including, where you allow it, advertising matched to your interests.
3. Your choice
When you first visit the Site you are asked to choose which categories of cookies you accept. Strictly necessary cookies are set regardless, because the Site cannot work without them. Nothing in the analytics or advertising categories is set until you agree to it.
You can change your choice at any time by clicking Cookie settings in the footer of any page. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it.
4. The cookies we use
4.1 Strictly necessary
Set without consent, because the Site cannot be delivered securely without them.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consent record | ScoreLine | Stores the cookie choice you made so we do not ask again on every page | 12 months |
| Session cookies | ScoreLine (WordPress) | Maintains your session and protects forms against cross-site request forgery | Session, deleted when you close your browser |
| Security and load balancing | Our hosting provider | Filters malicious traffic and routes your request to a working server | Session to 12 months |
| Display preference | ScoreLine | Remembers whether you chose light or dark mode | 12 months |
4.2 Analytics
Set only if you accept analytics cookies. Used in aggregate, never to identify you personally.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one device from another so visits can be counted | 2 years |
| _ga_[container] | Google Analytics | Maintains session state for Google Analytics 4 | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes devices for short-term reporting | 24 hours |
4.3 Advertising
Set only if you accept advertising cookies. If you decline, you still see advertising, but it is generic rather than matched to your interests.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| __gads, __gpi | Google AdSense | Measures ad interactions, limits how often you see the same ad, and prevents ad fraud | Up to 13 months |
| IDE, test_cookie | Google (doubleclick.net) | Measures and reports on ad performance, and matches advertising to your interests | test_cookie 15 minutes, IDE up to 13 months |
| Ad traffic quality identifiers | Detects invalid traffic and click fraud on advertising | Session to 13 months |
Google’s own explanation of the cookies it uses on partner sites is at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Google may update its cookie set without telling us in advance, so treat this table as accurate at the effective date rather than as a permanent list. We review it every six months.
5. Other ways to control cookies
- Your browser. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies. Blocking all cookies will break parts of this Site and most others.
- Google advertising. Turn off personalised advertising at My Ad Center.
- Google Analytics. Install the opt-out browser add-on.
- Industry opt-outs. optout.aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.com.
6. Do Not Track
Browsers can send a Do Not Track signal, but there is still no agreed standard for how a website should answer it, so we do not respond to it. Use the cookie banner instead. That choice we do honour.
7. Changes to this policy
We update this policy when the services we run or the cookies they set change. The effective date at the top tells you when the current version took effect.
8. Questions
Email privacy@scoreline.co.za.