DESCRIPTION OF TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Cookies.  A cookie is a data file placed on a Device when it is used to visit the Platform.  A Flash cookie (or locally shared object) is a data file placed on a Device via the Adobe Flash plug-in that may be built-in to or downloaded by you to your Device.  HTML5 cookies can be programmed through HTML5 local storage.  Unlike Flash cookies, HTML5 cookies do not require a plug-in.  Regular cookies may generally be disabled or removed by tools that are available as part of most commercial browsers, and in some but not all instances can be blocked in the future by selecting certain settings.  Each browser you use will need to be set separately and different browsers offer different functionality and options in this regard.  Also, these tools may not be effective with regard to Flash cookies or HTML5 cookies.  For information on disabling Flash cookies, go to Adobe’s web site www.adobe.com.  Please be aware that if you disable or remove cookies, Flash cookies, or HTML5 cookies on your Device, some parts of our Platform may not function properly, and that when you revisit our Platform your ability to limit cookies is subject to your browser settings and limitations.

Web Beacons.  Small graphic images or other web programming code called web beacons (also known as “1x1 GIFs” or “clear GIFs”) may be included in our Platform’s pages and messages.  Web beacons may be invisible to you, but any electronic image or other web programming code inserted into a page or e-mail can act as a web beacon.  Web beacons or similar technologies may be used for a number of purposes, including, without limitation, to count visitors to the Platform, to monitor how users navigate the Platform, to count how many e-mails that were sent were actually opened or to count how many particular articles or links were actually viewed.

Embedded Scripts.  An embedded script is programming code that is designed to collect information about your interactions with the Platform, such as the links you click on.  The code is temporarily downloaded onto your Device from our web server or a third party service provider, is active only while you are connected to the Platform, and is deactivated or deleted thereafter.

Browser Fingerprinting.  Collection and analysis of information from your Device, such as, without limitation, your operating system, plug-ins, system fonts and other data, for purposes of identification.

ETag, or entity tag.  A feature of the cache in browsers.  It is an opaque identifier assigned by a web server to a specific version of a resource found at a URL.  If the resource content at that URL ever changes, a new and different ETag is assigned.  Used in this manner ETags are a form of Device Identifier.  ETag tracking may generate unique tracking values even where the consumer blocks HTTP, Flash and/or HTML5 cookies.

Recognition Technologies.   Technologies, including application of statistical probability to data sets, which attempt to recognize or make assumptions about users and devices (e.g., that a user of multiple devices is the same user).