What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences, understand usage patterns, and improve your overall experience on the platform.

We use both first-party cookies (set directly by IEEE CIS CU) and third-party cookies (set by our trusted partners such as Google and Vercel) across the platform.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the platform to function correctly. Without them, you would not be able to log in, access your member dashboard, or use any core features.

Authentication tokens: Firebase Auth tokens verify your identity and maintain your login session securely.
Session cookies: Preserve your session state as you navigate between pages on the platform.
Security cookies: Provide protection against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.

Note: Essential cookies cannot be disabled — they are required for the IEEE CIS CU platform to operate. Blocking them will prevent login and core functionality from working.

Analytics Cookies

We use Vercel Analytics and Google Analytics to collect anonymous data about how visitors interact with our platform — helping us understand which pages are most useful and where we can improve the experience for members.

Page views and navigation flow across the platform
Page load performance and Core Web Vitals metrics
Geographic region at country level — not precise location
Browser type, device category, and operating system

All analytics data is fully aggregated and anonymised — individual users are never identified.

Advertising Cookies

We use Google AdSense to display relevant advertisements on certain pages of our platform. These cookies help Google deliver and measure ad performance.

Serve ads based on prior visits to our platform or related websites
Measure ad performance, click-through rates, and effectiveness
Limit how often you see the same advertisement (frequency capping)
Understand general interaction patterns with displayed ads

Opt out via Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info.

Third-Party Cookies

Certain cookies are placed by third-party services operating on our pages. We do not directly control these cookies.

Google (Firebase, AdSense, Analytics): Authentication, advertising measurement, and usage analytics
Vercel: Hosting infrastructure analytics and real-time performance monitoring
Razorpay: Secure payment processing — cookies only active during transactions

Cookie List

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
`Firebase Auth Token`	Firebase (Google)	User authentication and session management	Essential	Session / 1 hour
`__session`	IEEE CIS Student Branch, Chandigarh University	Session persistence and user preferences	Essential	Session
`_vercel_analytics`	Vercel	Anonymous page-view and performance analytics	Analytics	1 year
`_ga / _gid`	Google	Distinguish unique users for Google Analytics	Analytics	2 years / 24 hours
`__gads / __gpi`	Google AdSense	Ad personalisation and frequency capping	Advertising	13 months
`IDE / DSID`	Google DoubleClick	Serve targeted ads and track conversions	Advertising	1 year
`NID / CONSENT`	Google	Store user preferences and consent choices	Functional	6 months

User Consent

By continuing to use the IEEE CIS CU platform, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

Essential cookies are required for core functionality and cannot be opted out of. For analytics and advertising cookies, you may manage preferences through your browser settings or the opt-out links provided in the sections above.

Managing & Disabling Cookies

You can control and manage cookies directly through your browser settings. Most modern browsers allow you to view stored cookies, delete them individually, or block categories entirely.