Privacy Policy

DATED 2021-03-01 · VERSION 20211003_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20210302_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT

Full text changes — 20210302_rev01 to 20211003_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

 **Technical Information**
 By generally visiting or otherwise interacting with the PLOS Sites, we collect, have access to, store and use your computer's IP address, the URL/domain name of any referring website, the time and date of your visit to the PLOS Sites, and certain information known as "clickstream data" to enable us to understand how people interact with the PLOS Sites, to analyze data for trends and statistics, to help diagnose and solve issues with the PLOS Sites and our technologies, products, and services, and to optimize the performance of the PLOS Sites. We use click view data to provide statistics on articles such as number of views and downloads. We also use session cookies, as described below. From time to time, we use software tools to play back user sessions for our internal use in assessing our customers' interactions with our software, and these sessions may be linked to your user account. When we send you an email which contains personalized links then we will gather and store your name, email, and any link you click on, when you click on the links in order to track the effectiveness of our communications.
 **Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies**
+PLOS and our third-party partners, such as analytics and advertising partners, use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information.
+We and our third party providers use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information. For more detailed information about the cookies and other tracking technologies we use, why we use them, the basis for using them, and your choices, see our [Cookie Policy](https://plos.org/cookies-policy/).
+_Background on Cookies_
+- _Duration_. Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" based. Persistent cookies remain on your computer after your browser is closed. Session cookies are deleted automatically once your browser is closed. PLOS only uses session cookies.
+- _Category_. First party cookies are served directly by us to your computer or device. Third-party cookies are served by a third party on our behalf. The PLOS Sites have both first party and third-party cookies.
+_Other Tracking Technologies_
+We also use technologies that are similar to cookies, such as tags. Tags are small portions of code which we use on the PLOS Sites to learn whether you have clicked on certain web content.
+_How PLOS Uses Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies_
+- _Where necessary_. These cookies are essential to operating the PLOS Sites. They help us, for example, remember that you have logged in, so you are not required to log in each time you visit the PLOS Sites.
+- _For functionality_. These cookies and other technologies remember your preferences, letting you navigate PLOS Sites efficiently.
+- _For performance and analytics_. These cookies and technologies analyze how the PLOS Sites are accessed, used, or performing to improve your user experience and to maintain, operate and continually improve the PLOS Sites. For example, we use Google Analytics on the PLOS Sites to collect: page url/page title and user browser/system information, which includes browser type, referrer, language, java/flash support, IP address, and ad-serving data.
+- _For advertising_. These cookies deliver contextual advertisements on the PLOS Sites and help third-parties serve you targeted advertisements based on your browsing history.
+_How to Manage Cookies and Analytics_
+To opt-out of our use of cookies, change your browser settings to stop accepting cookies or to prompt you before accepting cookies from websites you visit. Please note that by not accepting cookies, some pages may not fully function and you may not be able to access certain information on the PLOS Sites.
+For information on how Google Analytics collects and processes data, visit [www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/](http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/). To opt-out of Google Analytics, visit Google's "How you can control the information collected by Google on these sites and apps" article available [here](https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites).
+**"Do-Not-Track"**
+PLOS does not respond to web browser "Do-Not-Track" signals. We do not serve targeted advertisements on the PLOS Sites or otherwise engage in behavioral advertising at this time.
 **Children's Privacy**
 Use of the PLOS Sites is intended for adults at least eighteen (18) years of age and we do not knowingly collect personally-identifying information from children under the age of thirteen (13).
 #### HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION