Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website or use a web-based application. They allow websites to recognise your device across visits, remember your preferences, maintain your login session, deliver advertising, and analyse how users interact with the service. Cookies do not typically access other files on your device, but they may collect identifiers such as your IP address, browser type, device type, and session tokens. Where such identifiers can be used to identify you as an individual, they constitute personal information under applicable data protection law.

This Cookie Policy is designed to comply with our obligations under the following legislation, listed in order of primary applicability. Our primary obligation is to the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), which governs the processing of personal information in South Africa, including information collected through cookies. For users in the United Kingdom, the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR) apply specifically to the placement of cookies, alongside the UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. For Australian users, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles apply to cookie-based personal information. The Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (CPA) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (ECTA) also inform our practices in South Africa more broadly.

SQUIDS uses the following categories of cookies on the Platform:

As SQUIDS operates as an advertising-supported platform, advertising cookies play a role in how the service functions. These cookies may be used to support the display of advertisements on the Platform, measure the performance of advertising campaigns, prevent fraudulent ad impressions, and attribute referrals to affiliate partners. Advertising cookies may be set by SQUIDS directly or by third-party advertising network partners. Each advertising partner's use of cookies is governed by their own privacy policies, and SQUIDS does not control those practices once a third-party cookie has been placed.

As stated in our Terms of Service, using ad-blocking tools to suppress advertising on SQUIDS is a violation of our Terms and may result in restricted access or account action.

Some features of SQUIDS involve third-party services that may place their own cookies on your device. These include authentication providers if you use social login, analytics providers used for anonymous usage reporting, and advertising network partners. SQUIDS requires all third-party service providers to comply with applicable data protection and privacy law in their respective jurisdictions. However, the specific cookie practices of third parties are governed by their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. SQUIDS does not accept liability for third-party cookie practices.

You can control and manage most cookies through your browser settings. All major browsers allow you to view currently set cookies, delete cookies individually or in bulk, block third-party cookies, and set preferences on a per-site basis. Please note that disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in and will cause core Platform features to stop working. Disabling advertising cookies may also affect your ability to access the ad-supported Platform in accordance with our Terms of Service.

Cookie lifespans vary by type. Session cookies are deleted automatically when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined duration depending on their purpose, after which they expire. SQUIDS retains cookie-derived data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, in accordance with our Privacy Policy (Section 11). We implement appropriate technical measures to prevent unauthorised access to or misuse of cookie data.

For questions about our use of cookies, to exercise your data subject rights under POPIA, or for any other privacy-related enquiry: