Cookies, Tracking & Social Media Policy
How we use cookies, analytics, and social media platforms when you interact with Future Learning.
Contents
- What Are Cookies?
- Data Collected Automatically
- Types of Cookies
- Cookies We Use (HubSpot)
- Social Media & Advertising Cookies
- Managing Cookies
- Website Analytics Retention
- Our Social Media Presence
- Data Processing on Social Media
- How We Use Social Media Data
- Lawful Basis
- Platform Privacy Policies
- Direct Messages & Enquiries
- User-Generated Content
- Photographs on Social Media
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help websites function properly, remember your preferences, and provide us with information about how our site is used.
Cookies can be categorised in two ways:
- First-party cookies are set by us (futurelearning.ie). Third-party cookies are set by external services we use.
- Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined period.
2. Data Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information to help us maintain and improve the site:
- Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, and operating system.
- Usage data: Pages visited, date and time of visit, time spent on pages, and navigation paths.
- Approximate location: Derived from your IP address.
3. Types of Cookies
We use four categories of cookies on our website:
- Strictly Necessary — Essential for the website to function correctly. These cannot be disabled.
- Functional — Enable enhanced functionality and personalisation. These require your consent.
- Analytics — Help us understand how visitors use our website. These require your consent.
- Marketing — Used to track visitors across websites for advertising purposes. These require your consent.
4. Cookies We Use (HubSpot)
We use HubSpot for marketing automation and website analytics. The following cookies may be placed on your device:
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Category |
| __hs_opt_out | Prevents tracking when a visitor opts out | 6 months | Necessary |
| __hs_cookie_cat_pref | Records consent category preferences | 6 months | Necessary |
| __hstc | Main visitor tracking cookie | 6 months | Analytics |
| hubspotutk | Tracks visitor identity for form submissions | 6 months | Analytics |
| __hssc | Session tracking | 30 minutes | Analytics |
| __hssrc | Detects new sessions | Session | Analytics |
| messagesUtk | Chat widget recognition | 6 months | Functional |
5. Social Media & Advertising Cookies
We use tracking pixels and cookies from social media platforms to measure the effectiveness of our advertising and to enable targeted advertising. These are third-party cookies that require your consent.
| Cookie / Pixel | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
| _fbp | Delivers and measures Meta advertisements | 3 months | Meta |
| _fbc | Stores click identifiers for ad attribution | 2 years | Meta |
| fr | Facebook advertising and analytics | 3 months | Meta |
| li_fat_id | LinkedIn first-party ad tracking | 30 days | |
| lidc | Routing and data centre selection | 24 hours | |
| bcookie | Browser identifier | 1 year | |
| UserMatchHistory | Ads ID syncing | 30 days | |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | Estimates bandwidth for embedded videos | 6 months | YouTube |
| YSC | Session cookie for embedded video views | Session | YouTube |
| CONSENT | Stores user consent state | 2 years | YouTube / Google |
| _ttp | Tracks visitor activity for TikTok ad attribution | 13 months | TikTok |
| _tt_sessionId | Session identifier for TikTok pixel tracking | Session | TikTok |
| ttwid | Identifies unique visitors for TikTok advertising | 1 year | TikTok |
| Consent required: These cookies will only be set if you consent to marketing cookies via our cookie consent banner. You can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking “Cookie Settings” in our website footer. |
6. Managing Cookies
You have several options to manage your cookie preferences:
- Cookie consent banner: When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a consent banner allowing you to accept or decline non-essential cookies.
- Cookie settings: You can change your preferences at any time by clicking “Cookie Settings” in our website footer.
- Browser settings: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies through their settings menus.
| Please note: Blocking all cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your user experience. |
7. Website Analytics Retention
Website analytics data collected through cookies is retained for a maximum of 14 months, after which it is automatically deleted.
8. Our Social Media Presence
We maintain an active presence on the following social media platforms:
- Facebook (Meta)
- Instagram (Meta)
- YouTube (Google)
- TikTok (ByteDance)
9. Data Processing on Social Media
When you interact with our social media pages — by following, liking, commenting, or sending us a direct message — both we and the platform operator may process your personal data. Each platform may act as a joint controller or independent controller for certain processing activities.
We may receive and process the following information:
- Your public profile information (name, profile picture, public posts)
- Comments and reactions you leave on our posts
- Direct messages you send to us
- Aggregated analytics and insights about our page visitors (demographics, engagement)
- Information you provide in response to surveys, competitions, or enquiries
10. How We Use Social Media Data
We use data from social media interactions to:
- Respond to your comments, questions, and direct messages
- Understand our audience and improve our content
- Promote our programmes and services
- Run competitions or promotional campaigns
- Direct enquiries to appropriate channels (e.g. if you message us about enrolment)
11. Lawful Basis
We process social media data on the basis of legitimate interests (engaging with our audience and marketing our services) and, where you contact us with an enquiry, to take pre-contractual steps at your request.
12. Platform Privacy Policies
Each social media platform has its own privacy policy governing how they process your data. We encourage you to review these:
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram): www.facebook.com/privacy/policy
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
- YouTube / Google: policies.google.com/privacy
- TikTok / ByteDance: www.tiktok.com/legal/privacy-policy
13. Direct Messages & Enquiries
If you contact us via social media direct message with an enquiry about our programmes, we may transfer your details to our student management system in order to follow up. We will inform you if we do this.
| Recommendation: For sensitive enquiries or bookings, we recommend contacting us directly via email rather than social media messaging. |
14. User-Generated Content
If you tag us in posts or share content about your experience with us, we may reshare or engage with that content on our channels. If you would prefer us not to reshare your content, please let us know by contacting us or indicating this in your post.
15. Photographs on Social Media
We only post photographs of students on our social media channels where we have obtained appropriate consent. If you see an image of yourself or your child on our social media and wish to have it removed, please contact us immediately.
This policy forms part of our overall Privacy Policy.
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