Cookie Policy
Effective: April 4, 2026 — This policy explains how and why The Westwood Times uses cookies on our website.
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, what types of cookies The Westwood Times uses, why we use them, and how you can manage your preferences. This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides additional information about how we handle your personal data.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, to remember your preferences, and to provide information to the site operators. Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting ("first-party cookies") or by third-party services that provide features on that website ("third-party cookies").
Similar technologies — including pixel tags, web beacons, local storage, and session storage — may be used for comparable purposes and are collectively referred to as "cookies" in this policy.
Types of Cookies We Use
| Category | Purpose | Can You Opt Out? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Cookies | Necessary for the basic functioning of the website. These enable core features such as page navigation, secure areas, and site performance. Without these cookies, the site cannot function properly. | No — these are required for the site to operate. |
| Analytics Cookies | Help us understand how visitors interact with our site by collecting information about pages visited, time spent, traffic sources, and similar metrics. This data is used in aggregate to improve our content and user experience. | Yes — see opt-out options below. |
| Preference Cookies | Remember choices you make to personalize your experience, such as your preferred text size, region, or saved articles. These cookies allow us to tailor the site to your individual preferences across sessions. | Yes — clearing cookies removes stored preferences. |
| Advertising Cookies | Used by us and our advertising partners to serve ads relevant to your interests, measure ad campaign effectiveness, and limit how often you see the same advertisement. These may track your activity across other websites. | Yes — see opt-out options below. |
Essential Cookies in Detail
Essential cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website to you. They include:
- Session cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser, used to maintain your session as you navigate between pages.
- Security cookies: Help detect and prevent fraudulent activity, protect user accounts, and comply with regulatory requirements.
- Load balancing cookies: Ensure that requests are distributed efficiently across our servers to maintain site performance.
Analytics Cookies in Detail
We use analytics services to measure how readers engage with our content. These tools may collect:
- Pages and articles visited, and time spent on each
- Referral source (e.g., search engine, social media, direct link)
- General geographic region (country and city level)
- Device type, browser, and operating system
- Interactions with site features such as video players, search, and newsletters
Analytics data is processed in aggregate and is not used to identify individual readers. We configure our analytics provider to anonymize IP addresses.
Advertising Cookies in Detail
Advertising on The Westwood Times supports our independent journalism. Our advertising partners may set cookies to:
- Build a profile of your interests based on pages you visit on our site and others
- Show you relevant advertisements across the web
- Measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
- Limit the number of times you see a particular advertisement
We do not sell your personal information to advertisers. Interest-based advertising relies on cookie data held by our advertising partners and is subject to their privacy policies.
Third-Party Cookies
Some features and services embedded in our site may set their own cookies independently. These include:
- Social sharing buttons (e.g., share to X/Twitter, Facebook): May set cookies even if you do not click them.
- Embedded video players: Video services may set cookies to track playback and serve relevant content.
- Newsletter service providers: Track email open rates and link clicks within our newsletters.
- Comment systems: May use cookies to manage user sessions in reader discussion areas.
These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies. We encourage you to review those policies for services you use on our site.
How to Manage and Opt Out of Cookies
You have several options for managing cookies:
- Browser settings: All major browsers allow you to view, block, or delete cookies. Visit your browser's help documentation for instructions. Note that blocking essential cookies may impair site functionality.
- Analytics opt-out: You can opt out of analytics tracking by installing your analytics provider's browser opt-out add-on, where available.
- Interest-based advertising opt-out: You can opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page or the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page.
- Do Not Track: Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" setting. We respect this signal where technically feasible, though its implementation varies across our third-party service providers.
Please note that opting out of non-essential cookies will not stop you from seeing advertising on our site; it will only mean that the advertising you see may be less relevant to your interests.
Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of personal data collected through cookies. California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). For any privacy or data rights requests, please contact us at thewestwoodtimes@gmail.com.
Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time as our technology or the services we use change. When we make material updates, we will post the revised policy on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact
For questions about our use of cookies or this policy, contact our Privacy Team at thewestwoodtimes@gmail.com or write to: The Westwood Times, Privacy Team, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
This Cookie Policy is effective as of April 4, 2026.