Cookie Policy

1. Introduction

At SuomiFest, we strive to give you the best possible online experience. To achieve this, we use cookies and similar tracking technologies, which help us:

• Remember your preferences (e.g., language or region);
• Analyze traffic patterns and website performance;
• Personalize content, offers, and affiliate recommendations;
• Measure the effectiveness of our marketing activities;
• Ensure security and detect fraudulent behavior.

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how and why we use them, and—importantly—your choices regarding cookies. It applies to all pages and domains under www.suomifest.com and subdomains (the “Site”).

2. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed in your browser when you visit a website. They contain data that can identify your device or browser, store preferences, and track usage. Cookies can be:

• First-party Cookies: Set by our Site directly. Only SuomiFest can read these values.
• Third-party Cookies: Set by domains other than SuomiFest (e.g., Google Analytics, YouTube). These cookies are governed by the third party’s own policies.

In addition to cookies, we may use Web Beacons (also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs), which are small graphic images embedded in web pages or emails that allow us to monitor usage and performance.

3. Categories of Cookies We Use

We classify cookies and similar technologies into the following categories:

3.1 Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the Site to operate correctly. They enable core functionalities such as:

• Maintaining user sessions (e.g., PHPSESSID);
• Enabling security features, such as detecting potential security risks (e.g., CSRF tokens);
• Remembering your cookie consent preference (cookie_consent).

Without these cookies, many essential features (such as log-in, shopping cart, or cookie banner) would not work. You cannot opt out of essential cookies if you wish to use the Site.

3.2 Performance & Analytics Cookies

Performance and analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Site by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use these cookies to improve our Site’s design and functionality, fix bugs, and optimize performance. Examples include:

• _ga (Google Analytics) – Registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the Site. Expires after 2 years.
• _gid (Google Analytics) – Registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the Site. Expires after 24 hours.
• _gat (Google Analytics) – Used to throttle request rate in Google Analytics. Expires after 1 minute.
• _gac_* (Google Ads) – Contains campaign-related information for Google Analytics. Expires after 90 days.

We may also use cookie-based analytics services from other providers (e.g., Matomo or Hotjar). These cookies collect aggregated data, such as total pageviews, time on page, bounce rate, and user navigation paths.

3.3 Functionality & Preference Cookies

Functionality cookies allow the Site to remember choices you make (e.g., language, region, font size, or display preferences) to provide enhanced and more personalized features. Examples include:

• lang – Remembers user’s preferred language (EN or FI). Expires after 30 days.
• region – Stores your chosen region to localize currency and product availability. Expires after 30 days.
• font_size – Tracks font size preference for accessibility. Expires after 30 days.

Turning off these cookies may reduce your ability to personalize your experience on the Site.

3.4 Advertising & Affiliate Cookies

Advertising and affiliate cookies are used to deliver relevant ads, track referrals from affiliate partners, and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. They may include:

• affiliate_ref – Tracks referral source when a user clicks an affiliate link. Expires after 30 days.
• _fbp (Facebook Pixel) – Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real estate ads. Expires after 3 months.
• _gads (Google Ads/Google Marketing Platform) – Used to serve ads more relevant to you, and to measure the efficacy of ads. Expires after 90 days.

We do not display third-party behavioral ads directly on the Site; however, some affiliate links (e.g., to brand sites such as The North Face, Arc’teryx) may include parameters that set cookies on the destination domain. These cookies help our partners attribute sales and compensate us via affiliate commissions.

3.5 Social Media & Embedded Content Cookies

Our Site may embed social media plugins (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). When you visit a page with embedded content, that third party may set cookies to track your interactions. For example:

• CONSENT (YouTube) – Used to store user preferences for embedded YouTube videos. Expires after 2 years.
• fr (Facebook) – Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers. Expires after 3 months.
• _twitter_sess (Twitter) – Used to maintain an authenticated session with Twitter when you interact with embedded tweets. Session cookie.

These cookies are governed by the respective social network’s cookie and privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies to understand how they use your data.

4. Detailed Cookie List

The table below provides a non-exhaustive list of cookies used on SuomiFest, along with their purpose and lifespan:

5. How We Use and Share Cookie Data

We use cookie-collected data to:

• Understand user behavior (e.g., pages visited, time spent, navigation paths) for analytics;
• Improve site performance, fix bugs, and optimize loading speed;
• Preserve user choices (language, region, font size) for a seamless experience;
• Deliver personalized content, such as affiliate recommendations and product suggestions;
• Measure the success of marketing campaigns and affiliate referrals;
• Ensure site security by detecting suspicious or fraudulent activity.

We do not sell or trade your cookie data to third parties. However, aggregated and anonymized data may be shared with analytics partners to help improve our services. In limited circumstances, we may disclose cookie-collected data if required by law (e.g., court orders, legal processes) or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

6. Your Cookie Choices and Control

You have several ways to manage or withdraw consent for cookies on SuomiFest:

6.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari (macOS)
• Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Edge

From your browser’s “Settings” or “Preferences” menu, you can:

• View which cookies exist on your device;
• Block cookies from all or specific websites;
• Delete cookies stored on your device.

Please note that disabling or deleting cookies may impact the functionality of certain features on our Site (e.g., staying logged in, preserving preferences).

6.2 Cookie Banner Controls

When you first visit our Site, a cookie banner appears prompting you to accept cookies. You can:

• Click “Accept” to consent to essential, performance, functionality, and affiliate cookies—this sets a cookie_consent cookie for one year;
• Adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies if you do not wish to accept them;
• Clear existing cookies at any time via your browser’s settings, which will cause the banner to reappear on your next visit.

If you choose not to accept cookies, only essential cookies required for the Site to function will be used, and certain features (e.g., performance analytics, personalization) may be disabled.

6.3 Opt-Out Tools for Analytics and Advertising

For performance and advertising cookies, you can use the following industry-standard opt-out mechanisms:

• Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On
• Your Online Choices – Ad Network Opt-Out
• Facebook Cookie Settings

These tools allow you to opt out of data collection for the respective services. Note that these opt-outs are browser-specific and device-specific.

7. Legal Basis for Using Cookies

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Finland, we process cookies under the following legal bases:

• Consent: For non-essential cookies (e.g., analytics, functionality, advertising), we obtain your explicit consent via the cookie banner. You can withdraw consent at any time by deleting the cookie_consent cookie or adjusting your browser settings.
• Legitimate Interests: For essential cookies needed to run the Site (e.g., session cookies), we rely on our legitimate interest in providing a functional website. These cookies do not require your consent.

We do not rely on consent for essential cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of the Site.

8. Data Retention and Security

We retain cookie-related data for durations specified in the detailed cookie list above. Once a cookie expires or is deleted, we no longer have access to that data. We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to safeguard cookie data, including:

• Using secure (HTTPS) connections to transmit cookies;
• Encrypting sensitive information where appropriate;
• Restricting access to cookie-related data to authorized personnel only;
• Regularly reviewing and updating security practices to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.

9. Third-Party Cookies and Embedded Content

We may embed content (videos, social media feeds) from third parties or use third-party services for analytics and advertising. These third parties may set their own cookies when you interact with their content on our Site. Common examples include:

• YouTube: Embedding a video may set YouTube cookies (e.g., VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC) to track video performance and user preferences.
• Facebook & Instagram: Social plugins or embedded posts may set cookies like dpr, wd, or xs to maintain login sessions and personalize content.
• Google Fonts: While fetching fonts from Google’s servers, cookies such as SNID, NID may be set to track preferences for Google services.

We do not control or manage these third-party cookies. Their behavior is governed by the respective third party’s policies. We recommend reviewing their cookie and privacy statements for more details.

10. Children’s Use of Cookies

Our Site is not intended for use by children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16, nor do we deliberately serve them cookies for profiling or advertising. If you become aware that a child under 16 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at [email protected], and we will take steps to delete such data.

11. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, applicable laws, or third-party services. We will post the revised Cookie Policy on this page and update the “Last Updated” date. If we make significant changes affecting your rights or how cookies are used, we will provide a prominent notice (e.g., banner notification or email) before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Site after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Cookie Policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us at:

Last Updated: June 6, 2025