This policy explains what cookies and similar technologies MTO News uses on mtonews.co.uk, what each category does, and how you can control them. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains our wider handling of personal data.
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file stored on your device when you visit a website. It lets the site recognise your device on later requests or later visits. Related technologies include local storage, pixels and software development kits embedded in third-party scripts; where we refer to cookies in this policy we mean all of them. A first-party cookie is set by mtonews.co.uk; a third-party cookie is set by another domain whose content or service appears on our pages.
The categories we use
Strictly necessary cookies make the site function: they support security, load balancing, page caching, and remembering your cookie choices. These cannot be switched off through our consent tool because the site would not work reliably without them, and we rely on legitimate interests rather than consent for them.
Analytics cookies tell us, in aggregate, which articles are read, how readers arrive, how far down a page they get, and where the site is slow or broken. We use this to decide what to cover and to fix problems. We configure analytics to minimise the data collected, including IP truncation where the provider supports it. These are set only with your consent.
Advertising cookies are set by advertising partners to select advertisements, cap how often you see the same one, and measure whether an advertisement led to a visit or action. Some partners may combine this with data they hold from other sites. These are set only with your consent, and declining them does not remove advertising — it means the advertising you see is less targeted.
Functional cookies support optional features such as embedded video or social media content. Where you play an embedded video or load an embedded post, the provider may set its own cookies under its own policy.
How long cookies last
Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain for a defined period — typically from a few days up to 13 months for analytics and advertising cookies, and up to 12 months for the record of your consent choices, so that we do not ask you again on every visit.
Your choices
When you first visit, you can accept or decline non-essential cookies. Declining is a single action and is remembered. You can change your decision at any time by clearing cookies for this site and making a new selection, and you can withdraw consent as easily as you gave it.
You can also control cookies in your browser. All major browsers let you block or delete cookies, block third-party cookies specifically, or open a private window that discards them when closed. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may stop parts of the site working. In the UK you can additionally opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies through the Your Online Choices tool, and mobile operating systems provide their own advertising identifier controls in device settings.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Browser Do Not Track signals are not applied consistently across the industry and we do not rely on them as a consent mechanism. Where our consent tool supports the Global Privacy Control signal, an opt-out signal is treated as a refusal of non-essential cookies.
Changes
The cookies in use change as our providers change. We review this policy periodically and update it accordingly. This version was published in July 2026. Questions about it can be sent through our Contact page.