Cookie policy
This policy lists every cookie and similar store this site sets, why, and how to change your choice. It was last updated on 11 October 2026.
What a cookie is
A cookie is a small text record your browser keeps for a site. Some last only until the browser closes; others persist until they expire. The site also uses the browser's local and session storage for the same purposes, and the rules below apply to all of them.
Essential, always on
| Name | Purpose | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| s | Keeps you signed in to a publisher console | until the browser closes; the sign-in itself expires after 7 days |
| r | Keeps a reader signed in to their library | 30 days |
| L | Remembers your language | until the browser closes |
| p | Holds a two-step sign-in while you enter your code | 5 minutes |
| wa | Holds a passkey sign-in challenge | 5 minutes |
| zi2c | Holds your privacy choices and their version, also kept in local storage | 1 year |
| zi2a11y (local storage) | Holds your accessibility settings | until you clear them |
Stripe Checkout sets its own cookies during payment; see Stripe's privacy policy.
Functional
| Name | Purpose | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| ref | Remembers the referral link that brought you, so the press that shared it is credited | 30 days |
| zi2pos, zi2bm, zi2fs, zi2theme and other zi2 reader settings (local storage) | Your place, bookmarks, text size and theme in the web reader | until you clear them |
When you are signed in, your reading position, reader settings and notes are also saved to your account so they follow you to other devices. Bookmarks stay on the device. Video players from YouTube or Vimeo, when a page includes one, load only after you allow the Functional category.
Analytics, with your consent
| Name | Purpose | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| zi2v (local storage) | A random visitor number for counting returning visitors | until cleared |
| zi2s (cookie and session storage) | A random session number | 1 day |
The analytics are first-party. They record the page address with any codes or tokens removed, the referring site, the screen size, the language, the time zone, an approximate location from the network, scroll depth, timings and events you trigger on the page. They never store your IP address, your email or anything else that names you, and nothing is shared with advertising networks. Visits are kept for 400 days.
Advertising and social
This site sets none.
Your choices
Open "Your privacy choices" at the foot of any page, or the Access panel at the bottom corner, and set each category. Save preferences keeps your choice for a year; Reject all keeps only the essential cookies. A browser Global Privacy Control signal turns off sale and sharing automatically, and we honor it. You can also delete cookies in your browser settings; the links for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari are in their help pages.
Sale or sharing of personal information
We do not sell or share personal information. The signals in the Privacy tab exist so that your choice travels with you under the state privacy laws that use those words.