Last updated: 12^th July 2026

This page explains how Project Open Gov uses cookies and similar technologies on this website.

Cookies are small text files placed on a device when a website is used. Similar technologies can also store or access information on a device for comparable purposes.

Does this site use cookies?

Project Open Gov uses limited cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for security and for the proper functioning of the website.

Project Open Gov also uses optional analytics cookies, but only where a visitor chooses to accept them through the cookie banner or cookie preferences tool. These analytics cookies are used to understand how people use the website, so that Project Open Gov can improve the site and focus development on content and features that readers genuinely find useful.

Project Open Gov is not interested in identifying individual visitors through analytics. Analytics is used for broad site statistics, such as which pages are visited, how people reach the site, and how the website is being used overall.

Project Open Gov does not use analytics cookies for advertising, remarketing, personalised advertising, or selling personal data.

Project Open Gov also currently uses an embedded PayPal donate button on the Support page. Depending on how that content is loaded and how PayPal operates it, PayPal may use scripts, tags, cookies or similar technologies when that page is viewed or when a user interacts with the payment feature.

Cookie consent and preferences

Project Open Gov uses Complianz to manage the cookie banner and cookie preferences.

Visitors can choose whether to accept or reject optional cookies. Essential cookies are always active because they are needed for the website to work properly.

The cookie banner allows visitors to:

• accept optional cookies;
• reject optional cookies;
• manage cookie preferences.

Visitors can change their cookie preferences later by using the cookie settings option provided on the website.

Project Open Gov may keep limited records of cookie consent choices, including the consent category selected, the time of the choice, the region, and a limited technical identifier, so that the site can demonstrate and manage consent.

Essential cookies

Essential cookies are used where they are necessary for the website to work properly.

These may include cookies or similar technologies used for:

• website security;
• bot and spam protection;
• caching and performance;
• WordPress administration;
• contact form functionality;
• cookie preference settings;
• basic operation of the website.

Where cookies are used for security or to support core functions requested by the user, they are treated as essential.

Under ICO guidance, cookies that are strictly necessary to provide a service requested by the user may fall within an exemption from the consent requirement, although users should still be given clear information about them.

Security and anti-spam technologies

This site uses Cloudflare services to help protect it from spam, bots and abusive traffic. This may involve security-related cookies or similar technologies.

Where Cloudflare challenge or bot protection features are active, Cloudflare may set cookies such as cf_clearance or __cf_bm to verify that a visitor is a legitimate user and to support security functions.

The contact form may also use security and anti-spam technologies to help reduce automated or abusive submissions.

WordPress-related cookies

Project Open Gov is built on WordPress. Standard WordPress cookies are commonly associated with logged-in users, site administrators, or site features such as commenting.

Project Open Gov does not currently offer public commenting, and ordinary visitors are not expected to receive standard WordPress commenter cookies unless such a feature is introduced in future.

WordPress administration cookies may be used for logged-in site administrators and editors.

Caching and performance cookies

Project Open Gov may use caching or performance-related technologies to help the website load reliably and efficiently.

These technologies may use cookies or similar mechanisms where necessary to support the technical operation of the website.

Analytics cookies

Project Open Gov uses Google Analytics 4 through Site Kit by Google to understand how people use the website.

Analytics cookies are optional. They should only be used where a visitor has accepted optional cookies through the cookie banner or cookie preferences tool.

Analytics may help Project Open Gov understand, in broad terms:

• which pages are visited;
• how people reach the website;
• which types of content are useful to readers;
• whether visitors use the site on desktop, tablet or mobile;
• how readers move between pages;
• whether improvements to the website are working.

Project Open Gov uses analytics to improve the website and to make better decisions about where to focus development work.

Project Open Gov does not use Google Analytics for advertising, remarketing, personalised advertising, or user profiling. Google Signals is not enabled. Google Ads and Google Tag Manager are not used for this analytics setup.

Google Analytics data is not routinely exported or stored in a separate local analytics database by Project Open Gov.

External media and third-party content

Project Open Gov may use or link to third-party services, including services such as YouTube, social media platforms, or payment providers.

Where third-party embedded content is used, those services may set cookies or use similar technologies in accordance with their own policies. Project Open Gov aims to manage such content through the cookie banner or cookie preferences system where appropriate.

Project Open Gov has configured Google Fonts to load locally where possible, so that ordinary visitors should not need to contact Google’s font servers simply to view the site’s text.

Support page and PayPal

The Support page currently uses embedded PayPal payment content so that visitors can choose to support Project Open Gov through PayPal.

That embedded content may involve PayPal scripts, tags, cookies or similar technologies being loaded on the Support page, and PayPal may process device, browser, interaction or payment-related information in accordance with its own policies.

Project Open Gov does not use the Support page for advertising or remarketing purposes. The purpose of this embedded content is to enable optional support payments.

Advertising cookies

Project Open Gov does not use advertising cookies.

Project Open Gov does not use Google Ads, Google AdSense, advertising pixels, remarketing tools, or personalised advertising technologies.

If this changes in future, this Cookies Policy and the Privacy Policy will be reviewed and updated before any such change is made.

Managing cookies

Visitors can manage optional cookies through the cookie banner or cookie preferences tool.

Most web browsers also allow users to view, block or delete cookies through their browser settings.

Please note that blocking some security-related or essential cookies may affect how parts of the website function.

Changes to this page

This Cookies Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to the website and the services it uses.

The latest version will always be published on this page with the updated date shown at the top.