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Cookies & Tracking Policy when using eharmony

Version: 02/15/2024

Overview of managing cookies and tracking technologies and/or withdrawing consent

You can review or edit your settings regarding the processing of personal data in connection with cookies and other tracking technologies and/or withdraw your consent at any time. To do so, please proceed as follows:

  • If you are using our website, please use our Consent Management Platform (“CMP“), by clicking here.
  • If you are using our app, please go to the top of this page and click on Tracking Settings.

You will find more information on this below under “How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase cookies?“ or under “How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase tracking technologies?”.

Additional information

This cookies & tracking policy provide information on the processing of your personal data in connection with cookies and other tracking technologies when you use eharmony services.

You will find further information in our Privacy Policy regarding the processing of your personal data in connection with the use of eharmony services.

Unless otherwise stated in this cookies & tracking policy or in our Privacy Policy, eHarmony UK Ltd., (hereafter “eharmony”, “we” or “us”) is the controller responsible for data processing.

Contents

Cookies & tracking technologies when using the eharmony website

Cookies & Tracking

In addition to the processing of personal data described in the Privacy Policy, cookies and other tracking technologies, such as app identifiers, are stored on your device when or after accessing the eharmony website.

A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your device when you access a website and is stored in your browser. If you access the same webpage again later, your browser will check its cookies and will recognize you as a returning user.

Third party technologies such as scripts, pixels and tags that eharmony embeds in the eharmony website for promotional purposes also place cookies on your device.

Some cookies are automatically erased after the end of the browser session (“session cookies”), whereas other cookies are stored for a predetermined amount of time or permanently in your browser, and then erase themselves automatically (“temporary” or “permanent” cookies).

Cookies do not store any data that identifies you as a person (e.g. no names, e-mail addresses or IP addresses). Instead, cookies typically contain a code (so-called identifier) as well as information on the storage period and possibly also certain technical features (e.g. security functions).

What categories of cookies does eharmony use?

Eharmony classifies cookies and other tracking technologies (hereinafter also collectively referred to as “cookies”) into different categories depending on their function and purpose.

“Strictly necessary” or “essential“ cookies

Certain cookies are essential to the eharmony website, as they ensure the safe and proper functioning of our Service.

These cookies enable functions without which you could not use our Service as desired and/or are strictly necessary for the website’s operation, e.g., for saving logins or other user inputs or for security reasons.

This category of cookies includes, e.g.:

  • Cookies that identify or authenticate our users, and cookies needed for a secure authentication process;
  • Cookies that ensure the security of eharmony’s information system;
  • Cookies that control abuse;
  • Cookies that temporarily store certain user entries;
  • Cookies that store certain user preferences.

These cookies enable you to navigate safely on our website and use the functions as desired. Without these cookies, eharmony cannot provide its essential services. We only use these cookies when you visit our website. These cookies are also used to retrieve the optimised website display when you access our website with a mobile device, so that your mobile data volume is not unnecessarily consumed.

In order to be able to provide the telemedia service you expressly requested, the legal basis is PECR Reg. 6(4), the absolute necessity is based on PECD Reg. 6(4)(b). The legal basis for processing is eharmony’s and its members’ legitimate interests in ensuring that the eharmony service is safe and easy to use, and that the website’s quality and content is constantly being improved.

A consent is not required to use “strictly necessary” or “essential” cookies. They cannot be deactivated.

You will find an overview and more detailed information about the “strictly necessary” or “essential” cookies we use in our CMP.

“Marketing” Cookies

We also use cookies for advertising purposes (“marketing“ cookies). We use user behaviour profiles created with the help of these cookies (e.g., which banner ads you have clicked on, which subpages you have visited, which search queries you have made) to measure the performance/ success of our advertisements, gain insights into target groups and display advertisements or products that are relevant to you.

In this context, we also allow other companies to collect our users’ data via cookies. We also forward tracking data to companies like Google and Microsoft so that we can measure the success of advertising campaigns (“conversion tracking”).

These companies may process the collected data for their own purposes, including and in particular for the purpose of providing their web analysis and tracking services. They may also combine the data they have collected using cookies with other data captured on the websites of the respective companies. Thus it may be possible for the companies to create usage profiles.

The legal basis for data processing and access to the terminal device is your consent.

We process your data alone or with the help of processors in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR, who process your data on the basis of our instructions and not for their own purposes. Where we jointly process personal data for certain purposes and by jointly determined means, we and the companies are joint controllers pursuant to Article 26 UK GDPR. In other cases, the companies also process personal data independently. Additionally, some companies may be based in or transfer data to non-UK countries.

You will find an overview and more detailed information on the “marketing” cookies that we use and the companies that we work with as well as the purpose of data processing here.

You can object to the processing of data on your device related to cookies at any time. You can find out how to object to your data being processed under the heading “How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase cookies?“. You can also prevent any user profiles being created by objecting to the use of cookies in general.

If you do object to the use of marketing cookies, you will be shown advertisements that may be less relevant to you.

Legal basis for the processing of personal data and access to your end device in connection with cookies

  • Where we obtain your consent as our lawful basis for processing, our legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1) (a) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
  • When the processing of your personal data is required to fulfil our contractual relationship (either in relation to Basic Membership or Premium Membership), our legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1) (b) UK GDPR. This also applies to any processing of data that is required to carry out any pre-contractual actions.
  • If the processing is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interest of eharmony or a third party, such as our members, and the interests, fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject do not override those legitimate interests, our legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1) (f) UK GDPR.
  • If the storage of information in the terminal device of the end user or the access to information already stored in the terminal device of the end user is absolutely necessary, PECR Reg. 6(4)(b) serves as the legal basis.
  • The relevant subsection of Art. 6(1) GDPR applies to any further data processing in connection with cookies, device identifiers, or other personal data on your terminal device (as applicable, depending on the particular data processing in question).

When the legal basis for processing is your consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. However, this withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out on the basis of your consent before your withdrawal. If the legal basis is a legitimate interest, you are also entitled, in general, to object to the processing of your personal data, at any time, for reasons arising from your specific situation. Article 21 UK GDPR applies in this respect.

How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase cookies?

With the exception of “strictly necessary” or “essential” cookies, we only use cookies with your consent. Using eharmony’s CMP, you can decide on your preferred use of cookies and review cookies already stored on your computer. You are also free to change any previous decisions regarding cookies at any time and you may (for instance) subsequently withdraw any consent you have given. To do so, you can access the settings options in our CMP.

If you would like to contact us regarding your consent, please refer to the information provided for this purpose in the Contact section of our Privacy Policy or e-mail us at privacypolicy@eharmony.co.uk and enter your consent ID and date of giving consent. You will find both pieces of information in the CMP.

To facilitate consent management, we use the Usercentrics Consent Management Platform (Usercentrics) of Usercentrics GmbH, Sendlinger Str. 7, 80331 Munich, Germany. Usercentrics collects log file data and consent data using JavaScript. This JavaScript allows us to inform users about their consent to certain cookies on our website and to collect, manage and document such consent.

You can permanently disable JavaScript at any time via your browser settings. However, if you do so, Usercentrics will not be able to execute JavaScript. You can find further information about Usercentrics’ data protection practices at: https://usercentrics.com/privacy-policy/.

You can manage (enable/disable and erase) cookies on our website by using the functions mentioned above, as well as via your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to manage your cookies by either accepting or rejecting all cookies or by agreeing to only certain types of cookies. To learn how to manage and erase cookies, please refer to the help function of your browser.

Please note, however, that if you choose to disable or remove cookies and other web tracking mechanisms, doing so may prevent certain features on our website from working properly and therefore affect your experience on our website. In addition, you may not be able to use all the features of our Service if you disable or remove cookies and other web tracking mechanisms.

Overview of cookies used by eharmony

In our CMP, you will find a complete overview of all cookies used on our website. Together with the description of individual cookies, we have also listed the cookie’s purpose, which data is processed, the data controller, and other important information.

For further information and help with cookies and other web tracking mechanisms, please see www.YourOnlineChoices.com.

Appendix: Technical Notes Cookies

Internet Explorer:

Instructions at https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies#ie=ie-11-win-7

Mozilla Firefox:

Instructions at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored

Google Chrome:

Instructions at https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647

Safari:

Instructions at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and-website-data-sfri11471/mac

Tracking technologies when using the eharmony app

In addition to processing personal data as described in the Privacy Policy, tracking technologies, such as app identifiers, are also used when you use the eharmony app, which may also involve to the processing of personal data.

Device IDs (also referred to as app identifiers), which are unique to each particular device, are used for tracking within apps. For iOS devices these IDs are called “Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA)” and for Android devices they are called “Google Advertising ID.” If, under Settings, you have not objected to the use of this ID for targeting and/or advertising purposes or have not objected to the use of IDs in general, we will be able to identify your ID and we and/or our Partners will be able to use it to collect personal data.

If you install our app on your device via third-party app store providers such as Apple or Google, the respective app store provider is an independent controller for tracking within app stores, or before you have installed and used our app. eharmony is responsible for tracking only when the eharmony app is being used, otherwise stated in this Cookies & Tracking Notice.

What categories of tracking technologies does eharmony use when using the eharmony app?

Eharmony classifies tracking technologies into different categories depending on their function and purpose.

“Strictly necessary” or “essential” tracking technologies

Certain tracking technologies are essential to the eharmony app, as they ensure its safe and proper functioning. These tracking technologies enable functions without which you could not our Service as desired and/or are strictly necessary for the app’s operation, e.g., for saving logins or other user inputs or for security reasons.

This category of cookies includes e.g.:

  • tracking technologies that identify or authenticate our users, and tracking technologies in connection with a secure authentication process,
  • tracking technologies that ensure the security of eharmony’s information system,
  • tracking technologies that control abuse,
  • tracking technologies that temporarily store certain user entries,
  • tracking technologies that store certain user preferences.

These tracking technologies enable you to navigate safely in our app and use the functions as desired. Without these tracking technologies, eharmony cannot provide its essential services. We only use these tracking technologies when you use our app.

In order to be able to provide the telemedia service you expressly requested, the legal basis is PECR Reg. 6(4), the absolute necessity is based on PECD Reg. 6(4)(b). The legal basis for processing is eharmony’s and its members’ legitimate interests in ensuring that the eharmony service is safe and easy to use, and that the app’s quality and content is constantly being improved.

A consent is not required to use “strictly necessary” or “essential” tracking technologies. They cannot be deactivated.

You will find an overview and more detailed information on the “strictly necessary” or “essential” tracking technologies that we usehere.

“Functional” tracking technologies

“Functional” tracking technologies enable us to perform a comprehensive analysis within the framework of use of our app. We use this analysis to produce statistics.

We collect information, for instance, about how eharmony members and users interact with our app and which pages they have visited.

We also create user profiles with the aid of “functional” tracking technologies. Data collected by “functional” tracking technologies cannot be used to identify you personally or to track your activities on other apps.

The purpose of data processing is to structure our app according to requirements, analyse the reach of our app and our advertising campaigns and, by collecting information, achieve a better understanding of the needs of our users and the eharmony members in connection with their use of our app.

The legal basis for data processing and access to the terminal device is your consent.

We process your data alone or with the help of processors (Art. 28 UK GDPR), who process your data on the basis of our instructions and not for their own purposes. Where we jointly process personal data for certain purposes and by jointly determined means, we and the providers are joint controllers in accordance with Article 26 UK GDPR. In other cases, these providers also process personal data independently. Additionally, some providers are based in or transfer data to non-UK countries.

You will find an overview and more detailed information on the “functional” tracking technologies that we use and the service providers that we work with as well as the purpose of data processinghere.

You can object to the processing of data on your device related to tracking technologies at any time.these tracking technologies or withdraw your consent at any time. You can find out how to object to your data being processed under “How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase tracking technologies?“.Please note that, for apps, the opt-out function is device-specific and is only valid for the device currently in use. If you use our app on several devices, you must opt-out on each individual device used.

“Marketing” tracking technologies

We also use tracking technologies for advertising purposes (“marketing” tracking technologies). We use user behaviour profiles created with the help of these tracking technologies (e.g., which banner ads you have clicked on, what actions you have taken in the app, which search queries you have made) to measure the performance of our advertisements (conversion tracking of advertising campaigns).

In this context, we also allow other companies to collect our users’ data with the aid of tracking technologies, such as app identifiers, or obtain this data from us. This enables us and those companies to measure the success of these advertising campaigns (“conversion tracking”).

The legal basis for data processing and access to the terminal device is your consent.

We process your data alone or with the help of processors (Art. 28 UK GDPR), who process your data on the basis of our instructions and not for their own purposes. Where we jointly process personal data for certain purposes and by jointly determined means, we and the companies are joint controllers pursuant to Article 26 UK GDPR. In other cases, the companies also process personal data independently. Some companies may be located in or transfer data to non-UK countries.

You can find an overview and more detailed information on the “marketing” tracking technologies that we use and the companies that we work with as well as the purpose of data processing here.

You can object to the processing of data on your device related to tracking technologies at any time. You can find out how to object to your data being processed under “How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase tracking technologies?”.

Legal basis for the processing of personal data and access to your end device in connection with tracking technologies (such as app identifiers) when using the eharmony app

  • We obtain the consent of the data subject for the processing of personal data by non-essential tracking technologies. In this case, the legal basis is Article 6(1) of the UK GDPR.
  • When the processing of your personal data is required to fulfil our contractual relationship (either in relation to Basic Membership or Premium Membership), our legal basis for the processing is point (b) of Article 6(1) UK GDPR. This also applies to any processing of data that is required to carry out any pre-contractual actions.
  • If the processing is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interest of eharmony or a third party, such as our members, and the interests, fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject do not override those legitimate interests, our legal basis for the processing is point (f) of Article 6(1) UK GDPR.
  • The relevant subsection of Art. 6(1) GDPR applies to any further data processing in connection with cookies, device identifiers, or other personal data on your terminal device (as applicable, depending on the particular data processing in question).

When the legal basis for processing is your consent, you are entitled to withdraw your consent at any time. However, this withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out on the basis of your consent before your withdrawal. If the legal basis is a legitimate interest, you are also entitled, in general, to object to the processing of your personal data, at any time, for reasons arising from your specific situation. Article 21 UK GDPR applies in this respect.

How can you manage, prevent the use of, or erase tracking technologies when using the eharmony app?

With the exception of “strictly necessary” or “essential” tracking technologies, we only use tracking technologies with your consent. You can withdraw your consent or change your settings at any time. To do this, go to the top of this page and click on “Tracking settings”.

Furthermore, it is possible to reset the use of the ID on your device for targeting and/or advertising purposes at any time. You can also opt-out from the use of IDs on your device in general (see instructions for Android devices here and for Apple devices here).

Overview of tracking technologies used by eharmony when using the eharmony app

Hereyou can find a complete overview of all tracking technologies that we use on our platform. Together with the description of individual tracking technologies, we have also listed the cookie’s purpose, which data is processed, the data controller(s), and other important information.