Cookie policy

This website digitalsocietyschool.online uses Cookies and similar technologies in order to distinguish you from other users. By using Cookies, We are able to provide you with a better experience and to improve Our Site by better understanding how you use it. Please read this Cookie Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of Our Cookie Policy is deemed to occur when you press the “accept” button on Our Cookie banner or when you have selected your preferred Cookie options in Our Cookie manager and pressed the “Continue” button. If you do not agree to Our Cookie Policy, please stop using Our Site immediately.

1. Definitions and Interpretation

In this Cookie Policy, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings:
Cookie: means a small file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of Our Site and/or when you use certain features of Our Site;
Cookie Law: means the relevant parts of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 and of EU Regulation 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”);
Personal data: means any and all data that relates to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from that data, as defined by EU Regulation 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”); and
We/Us/Our: means “Our Website/School/Company”, the brand owned and operated by Company name or Person.

2. Information About Us

Our Site is owned and operated by the Digital Society School / Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
  • Registered address: Wibautstraat 2-4, 1091GM Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Email address: digitalsocietyschool@hva.nl

3. How Does Our Site Use Cookies?

  • 3.1 Our Site may place and access certain first-party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by Us and are used only by Us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and services. We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.
  • 3.2 By using Our Site, you may also receive certain third-party Cookies on your computer or device. Third-party Cookies are those placed by websites, services, and/or parties other than Us. Third-party Cookies are used on Our Site for analytics and for marketing purposes. For more details, please refer to section 4 below.
  • 3.3 All Cookies used by and on Our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law. We may use some or all of the following types of Cookie:
  • 3.3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
    A Cookie falls into this category (usually first-party cookies) if it is essential to the operation of Our Site as without them we cannot provide the functionality that you need to use this website. For example, essential cookies help remember your preferences as you navigate through the online school, also support functions such as logging in, and payment transactions.
  • 3.3.2 Functionality Cookies
    Functional Cookies allow our web site to remember choices you make, e.g. your user name, log in details and language preferences and any customizations you make to pages during your visit. They are necessary to provide features and services specific to individual users.
  • 3.3.3 Analytics Cookies
    It is important for Us to understand how you use Our Site, for example, how efficiently you are able to navigate around it, and what features you use. Analytics Cookies enable us to gather this information, helping Us to improve Our Site and your experience of it.
  • 3.3.4 Marketing/Targeting Cookies
    It is important for Us to know when and how often you visit Our Site, and which parts of it you have used (including which pages you have visited and which links you have visited). As with analytics Cookies, this information helps us to better understand you and, in turn, to make Our Site and advertising more relevant to your interests. Some information gathered by targeting Cookies may also be shared with third parties.
  • 3.3.5 Third Party Cookies
    Third-party Cookies are not placed by Us; instead, they are placed by third parties that provide services to Us and/or to you. Third-party Cookies may be used by advertising services to serve up tailored advertising to you on Our Site, or by third parties providing analytics services to Us (these Cookies will work in the same way as analytics Cookies described above).
  • 3.3.6 Persistent Cookies
    Any of the above types of Cookie may be a persistent Cookie. Persistent Cookies are those which remain on your computer or device for a predetermined period and are activated each time you visit Our Site.
  • 3.3.7 Session Cookies
    Any of the above types of Cookie may be a session Cookie. Session Cookies are temporary and only remain on your computer or device from the point at which you visit Our Site until you close your browser. Session Cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
  • 3.4 Cookies on Our Site are not permanent and will expire as indicated in the table below.
  • 3.5 For more details of the personal data that We collect and use, the measures we have in place to protect personal data, your legal rights, and our legal obligations, please refer to our Privacy Policy
  • 3.6 For more specific details of the Cookies that We use, please refer to the table below.

4. What Cookies Does Our Site Use?

  • 4.1 The following first-party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:
Name of Cookie Purpose Strictly Necessary Expires
XSRF-TOKEN Preserves User Login information and states Yes When you close your browser
DPSettings Preserves the user's Cookie policy preferences Yes 12 days
slim_session Preserves User Login information and states Yes 1 day
  • 4.2 The following strictly necessary third-party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:
    None directly
  • 4.3 Our Site uses the following functional Cookies: 
    None directly. 
  • 4.4 Our Site uses analytics services provided by Matomo. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling us to better understand how Our Site is used. This, in turn, enables us to improve Our Site and the products and services offered through them.
  • 4.5 The analytics services used by Our Site use Cookies to gather the required information. You do not have to allow us to use these Cookies, however, whilst our use of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of Our Site, it does enable us to continually improve Our Site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.
  • 4.6 The analytics services used by Our Site uses the following Cookies:


  • _pk_id – 13 months (used to store a few details about the user such as the unique visitor ID)
  • _pk_ref – 6 months (used to store the attribution information, the referrer initially used to visit the website)
  • _pk_ses, _pk_cvar, _pk_hsr – 30 minutes (short lived cookies used to temporarily store data for the visit)
  • _pk_testcookie is created and should be then directly deleted (used to check whether the visitor’s browser supports cookies)
  • mtm_consent (or mtm_consent_removed) are created with an expiry date of 30 years to remember that consent was given (or removed) by the user.
  • mtm_cookie_consent is created with an expiry date of 30 years to remember that consent for storing and using cookies was given by the user.
  • 4.7 Targeting/Marketing cookies
    Targeting/Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third-party advertisers. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising:
    None directly 

5. Consent and Control

  • 5.1 Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a banner requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling Us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies unless those Cookies are strictly necessary; however certain features of Our Site may not function fully or as intended. You will be given the opportunity to allow and/or deny different categories of Cookie that We use.
  • 5.2 In addition to the controls that We provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all Cookies or only third-party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.
  • 5.3 The links below provide instructions on how to control Cookies in all mainstream browsers:
  • 5.3.1 Google Chrome
  • 5.3.2 Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • 5.3.3 Microsoft Edge (Please note that there are no specific instructions at this time, but Microsoft support will be able to assist)
  • 5.3.4 Safari (macOS)
  • 5.3.5 Safari (iOS)
  • 5.3.6 Mozilla Firefox
  • 5.3.7 Android (Please refer to your device’s documentation for manufacturers’ own browsers)

Opt-out of tracking:

6. Changes to this Cookie Policy

  • 6.1 We may alter this Cookie Policy at any time. Any such changes will become binding on you on your first use of Our Site after the changes have been made. You are therefore advised to check this page from time to time.
  • 6.2 In the event of any conflict between the current version of this Cookie Policy and any previous version(s), the provisions current and in effect shall prevail unless it is expressly stated otherwise.

7. Further Information

  • 7.1 If you would like to know more about how We use Cookies, please contact Us at digitalsocietyschool@hva.nl
  • 7.2 For more information about privacy, data protection and our terms and conditions, please visit the following:
Digital Society School © 2021