Cookie policy
Which cookies and similar technologies tomgoldman.us uses, and how to manage your choices.
Last updated: November 13, 2026.
1. Scope
This cookie policy describes the cookies and similar technologies used on tomgoldman.us (the Site), which is operated by Tom Goldman, a sole proprietor registered in Poland. It should be read together with the privacy policy, which explains how personal information is handled in general. Questions can be sent through the Contact page.
2. Cookies and similar technologies in brief
A cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks your browser to save. On later visits, the browser sends it back, which lets the website recognize the same device, keep you signed in, remember preferences or count visits. Related technologies include browser local storage and tracking pixels, which are tiny pieces of code that report an event, such as a page view, to a third party. In this policy, "cookies" covers all of them.
Cookies differ in two ways that matter for your choices:
- Who sets them. First-party cookies come from the Site itself; third-party cookies come from providers whose tools run on the Site, such as Google or Meta.
- How long they last. Session cookies disappear when the browser closes; persistent cookies stay until their expiry date or until you delete them.
The lifetimes listed in section 4 are typical values. Providers can change them without notice.
3. Opt-in approach
Because the Site is run from the European Union, it follows the EU rule that information may be stored on or read from your device only with your consent, except where this is strictly necessary to deliver what you asked for. The Site applies this approach to every visitor, including visitors in the United States. As a result:
- cookies needed for security and for remembering your consent choice are always on;
- analytics and marketing cookies stay off until you actively accept them;
- you can revisit and change your decision whenever you like.
Several US states give consumers the right to opt out of targeted advertising and of the sale or sharing of personal information. The opt-in approach above covers that right, where such a state law applies to my business: if you do not accept marketing cookies, or withdraw your acceptance later, the Site does not use advertising cookies for you. Personal information collected through cookies is not sold.
4. Cookies on the Site
Strictly necessary
| Cookie | What it does | Typical lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| Consent record | Saves the cookie categories you accepted or refused | up to 12 months |
| sid | Keeps the Site administrator logged in to the content management panel; never set for ordinary visitors | up to 30 days |
| Cloudflare security cookies, such as __cf_bm | May be placed by the hosting provider to filter bots and protect the Site from abuse | about 30 minutes |
These cookies are not part of the consent settings, because the Site needs them to stay secure and to respect the choice you made.
Analytics: Google Analytics 4
| Cookie | What it does | Typical lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Assigns a random identifier so visits can be counted as unique visitors | up to 2 years |
| ga<ID> | Keeps track of the current session for statistics | up to 2 years |
The statistics show, in aggregate, how people find the Site and which pages are helpful. These cookies are placed only after you accept the analytics category.
Marketing: Meta Pixel
| Cookie | What it does | Typical lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| _fbp | Identifies the browser for measuring ad results and building audiences | up to 90 days |
| _fbc | Records that a visit came from a click on a Facebook or Instagram ad | up to 90 days |
With your consent, the pixel tells Meta whether an ad led to an inquiry and allows ads to be shown later to people who visited the Site. Nothing is sent to Meta through these cookies if you do not accept the marketing category.
Tag management
Google Tag Manager is the tool that loads the analytics and marketing scripts described above. It does not set analytics cookies of its own and fires each tool only in line with the choices you have made.
5. Consent signals sent to Google
The Site implements Google Consent Mode v2. On arrival, four signals (ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization) are set to denied. Accepting a category switches only the matching signals to granted. As long as the signals are denied, Google's tags on the Site do not write analytics or advertising cookies to your device.
6. Changing your mind
The banner shown on your first visit lets you accept everything, refuse everything that is not strictly necessary, or pick categories one by one. A cookie settings link in the footer of every page reopens the same choices, so you can withdraw or give consent at any time. Withdrawal applies from that moment on and does not affect earlier processing.
Your browser offers further controls: it can block cookies, delete those already stored or warn you before new ones are saved. The help pages of each browser explain how. Note that blocking all cookies, including strictly necessary ones, may prevent the consent banner and some other parts of the Site from working.
7. Content from other services
Some pages may link to or embed material hosted elsewhere, for example videos, maps or social media posts. Those providers may place their own cookies under their own policies once you interact with the material. Where technically possible, embedded content loads only after you have accepted the relevant cookie category.
8. Updates
This policy is revised when the tools on the Site or the legal requirements change. The version on this page, with the date at the top, is the one that applies.