The Christchurch Chronicle

We use cookies and similar technologies on this website. This policy explains what they are, why we use them, and how you can control them.

Last updated: March 2026

This policy applies to The Christchurch Chronicle. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember information about your visit — such as your preferences, login status, or how you navigated the page. Similar technologies, including local storage, pixels and session storage, work in the same way and are covered by this policy.

Cookies are not programmes and cannot carry viruses or malware. They cannot access other files on your device.

The Cookies We Use

We group our cookies into four categories. You can manage your preferences for each category at any time.

1. Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function. They enable core features such as page navigation, secure login, subscription access and payment processing. They do not collect personal information for marketing purposes.

Strictly necessary cookies do not require your consent — they are exempt because they are required to deliver a service you have explicitly requested. You can disable them in your browser, but the site will not function correctly if you do.

Examples: session management, login authentication, subscription access control, security tokens.

2. Analytics and performance cookies

These cookies help us understand how readers use our site — which articles are read, how long people spend on pages, and where visitors come from. This information is collected in aggregate and used to improve our journalism and reader experience.

Analytics cookies require your explicit consent. We do not set these until you have opted in.

Examples: Google Analytics, page view tracking, scroll depth, referral source.

3. Functional cookies

These cookies remember your preferences and personalise your experience — such as your preferred text size, saved articles, newsletter preferences and region settings. They are not essential but improve your experience on the site.

Functional cookies require your consent. We do not set these until you have opted in.

Examples: display preferences, saved article lists, newsletter subscription status.

4. Advertising and targeting cookies

These cookies are used to serve relevant advertising and to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They may be set by us or by third-party advertising partners. They track your activity across websites to build a profile of your interests.

Consent for advertising cookies must be specific, freely given, informed and unambiguous — and must be collected separately from other cookie categories. We do not set advertising cookies until you have explicitly opted in. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Examples: ad frequency capping, conversion tracking, audience segmentation, remarketing.

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our site are set by third-party services we use, including analytics providers, advertising networks and embedded content providers such as video players and social media widgets. These third parties operate under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

Where third-party embeds — such as social media posts or video players — set their own cookies, we load them only after you have given appropriate consent.

How to Manage Your Cookies

Using your browser settings

All major browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can choose to block all cookies, block third-party cookies only, or delete cookies that have already been placed. Note that blocking strictly necessary cookies will affect how the site works.

Browser guidance: Google Chrome · Mozilla Firefox · Safari · Microsoft Edge

Opting out of analytics

You can opt out of Google Analytics across all websites using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Opting out of advertising

You can opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies through:

Your Consent

All non-essential cookies are blocked from executing before you give consent. When you first visit our site, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or reject each category of non-essential cookie. Your choice is recorded and respected on every subsequent visit.

You can withdraw or change your consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before withdrawal.

We do not use consent walls — you can access our content whether or not you accept non-essential cookies.

How Long Do Cookies Last?

Session cookies expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period, after which they expire automatically. We aim to ensure persistent cookies do not last longer than 12 months. Third-party cookie durations are set by their respective providers.

Legal Compliance

The Christchurch Chronicle complies with the Privacy Act 2020. While New Zealand does not have a dedicated cookie law, we apply international best practice and collect consent for non-essential cookies.

Changes to This Policy

We review this policy regularly and update it when our cookie usage changes or when regulations require it. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent update. Significant changes will be noted in our newsletter.

Questions

If you have questions about how The Christchurch Chronicle uses cookies, contact our Privacy Officer at news@scholastica.com.

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