Cookie Policy

Understanding Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device when you visit them. They help websites remember your preferences, understand how you use the site, and improve your overall experience. Cookies can store information such as your language preference, items in your shopping cart, or whether you've visited the site before.

At Sao Tome Passport, we use cookies and similar tracking technologies to ensure our website functions properly and to enhance your browsing experience. This policy explains what cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can control them.

Categories of Cookies We Use

We use several types of cookies on our website, each serving a different purpose. Below is a breakdown of the categories we employ:

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for our website to function correctly. They enable core features such as security, network management, and accessibility. Without these cookies, services you have requested cannot be provided. Essential cookies do not collect information about you for marketing purposes and cannot be disabled through our cookie management tools.

Examples of how we use essential cookies include:

• Remembering your login status as you navigate between pages
• Maintaining security and preventing fraudulent activity
• Enabling you to submit forms and applications
• Ensuring the website loads properly and functions as intended

Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors interact with our website. They help us understand which pages are most popular, how long visitors spend on different sections, and whether they encounter any errors. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and anonymous.

We use performance cookies to:

• Track the number of visitors to our website
• Monitor how users navigate through our site
• Identify technical issues and improve website performance
• Understand which content is most valuable to our visitors
• Test different designs and features to enhance user experience

Functionality Cookies

Functionality cookies allow our website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced, personalized features. These cookies help us tailor your experience based on your preferences and previous interactions with our site.

These cookies enable us to:

• Remember your preferred language and region settings
• Recall your username when you return to the site
• Store your customization preferences
• Provide enhanced features and personalized content
• Remember changes you've made to text size or other display settings

Targeting and Advertising Cookies

These cookies track your browsing habits to deliver advertising that is relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These cookies remember that you have visited our website and may share this information with other organizations, such as advertisers.

Targeting cookies help us:

• Display relevant advertisements on other websites you visit
• Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Understand your interests to provide more relevant content
• Limit how many times you see the same advertisement
• Build a profile of your interests for future marketing purposes

Third-Party Cookies and Services

In addition to our own cookies, we work with trusted third-party service providers who may also set cookies on your device when you visit our website. These partners help us analyze website traffic, provide social media features, and deliver targeted advertising.

Third-party cookies we use may come from:

• Analytics providers such as Google Analytics, which help us understand how visitors use our site
• Social media platforms that enable sharing and social features
• Advertising networks that deliver relevant ads based on your interests
• Payment processors that facilitate secure transactions
• Customer support tools that help us provide assistance

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing how they collect and use your information. We encourage you to review their policies to understand how your data is handled. We do not control these third-party cookies and cannot access the information they collect.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie banner that allows you to choose which categories of cookies you wish to accept. You can adjust your preferences at any time by accessing our cookie settings tool, typically found in the footer of our website.

Please note that if you choose to disable certain cookies, some features of our website may not function properly, and your user experience may be affected. Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are necessary for the website to operate.

To manage your preferences:

• Use the cookie consent banner when you first visit our site
• Access the cookie settings tool available on our website
• Adjust your browser settings to control cookies (see below)
• Opt out of third-party advertising cookies through industry opt-out platforms

Disabling Cookies Through Your Browser

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies, accept only certain cookies, or notify you when a cookie is being set. The method for managing cookies varies depending on which browser you use.

Here's how to manage cookies in common browsers:

• Google Chrome: Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Go to Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Go to Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
• Microsoft Edge: Go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
• Opera: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Cookies and other site data

For detailed instructions specific to your browser, please visit the browser's official support website. Keep in mind that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features on our website and others you visit.

You can also opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting opt-out platforms such as the Digital Advertising Alliance's consumer choice page or the Network Advertising Initiative's opt-out page.

Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on our website or by other appropriate means.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and protect your information. The date of the most recent update will be indicated at the top of the policy. Your continued use of our website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us About Cookies

If you have questions or concerns about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, we're here to help. You can reach out to us through the following channels:

• Email us at: [email protected]
• Review our full Privacy Policy for more information about how we handle your personal data

We take your privacy seriously and will respond to your inquiries as promptly as possible. If you wish to exercise your rights regarding your personal data or have specific concerns about how cookies are used on our website, please don't hesitate to contact us.