Cookie Policy

1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how Social Finance Hub uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.

As a non-profit research platform, we are committed to using cookies responsibly and transparently. We use essential cookies for core functionality and offer optional analytics cookies to help improve our service.

Current Status: We use essential cookies by default. You can choose to enable analytics and functional cookies to enhance your experience. All cookie preferences are logged with your consent for compliance purposes.

2. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?

2.1 Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They help websites remember information about your visit, making your next visit easier and the site more useful to you.

Types of Cookies

• Session Cookies: Temporary cookie that is deleted when you close your browser.
• Persistent Cookies: Cookie that remains on your device for a set period or until you delete it.
• First-Party Cookies: Cookie set by our website directly.
• Third-Party Cookies: Cookie set by domains other than our website (we minimize these).

2.2 Web Storage Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use Web Storage technologies that allow websites to store data locally in your browser. These technologies provide similar functionality to cookies but with some key differences.

What is Web Storage? Web Storage is a browser feature that allows websites to store data locally on your device. Unlike cookies, Web Storage data is not automatically sent to the server with every request, providing better performance and security for certain types of data.

Types of Web Storage

Current Status: We may use Session Storage and Local Storage for additional functionality in the future, such as saving your search preferences, display settings, or temporarily caching research content for better performance.

3. Cookies and Storage Technologies We Currently Use

We believe in being completely transparent. The tables below show ALL cookies and storage technologies we currently use on this website. We primarily use essential cookies for core functionality.

3.1 Strictly Necessary (Currently Active)

These technologies are essential for website security, user authentication, and basic functionality. They are required by privacy law and ensure the website works properly.

Note: The sb-*-auth-token cookie name includes your specific Supabase project ID. If the authentication data is large, it may be split into multiple cookies (e.g., sb-*-auth-token.0,.1, etc.).

3.2 Analytics (Optional)

Optional: You can choose to enable analytics cookies to help us understand how visitors use our website and improve user experience.

When you enable analytics, we generate a unique visitor ID to track anonymous usage patterns. This helps us understand which features are most useful and where we can improve.

Analytics Cookies

Privacy Note: The visitor_id is randomly generated and cannot be used to identify you personally. It only helps us understand usage patterns across visits.

3.3 Functional (Not Currently Used)

Not Implemented: We do not currently use functional cookies or storage for enhanced features.

If implemented in the future, cookies and functional storage technologies would enhance your experience by remembering your preferences and providing personalized features. These would be optional and require your consent.

Future Implementation: If we implement any functional cookie and storage technologies, we will:

• Request your explicit consent before enabling them
• Update this policy with detailed information
• Provide clear explanations in the cookie preferences modal
• Ensure all data is stored locally and never sent to third parties

3.4 Marketing (Not Currently Used)

Not Implemented: We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies. This option is available for potential future features if needed.

As an academic research platform, we focus on content quality rather than targeted advertising. If we ever implement marketing features in the future (such as promoting research publications or events), we would:

• Request your explicit consent before enabling any marketing cookies or storage
• Provide detailed information about how the data would be used
• Only use privacy-respecting marketing tools
• Never sell your data to third parties

4. Technologies We Do NOT Use

Our Philosophy: As an academic research platform, we believe in privacy by design. We only collect the minimum data necessary to provide our services. If we ever plan to implement analytics or functional storage technologies in the future, we will:

• Request your explicit consent first
• Update this policy with clear explanations
• Use only privacy-respecting tools
• Allow you to opt-out at any time
• Store data locally when possible rather than sending to servers

5. Managing Your Cookie and Storage Preferences

5.1 Our Cookie Consent Tool

When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner. You can choose from the following options:

• Accept All: Enable all cookie categories and storage technologies including analytics and functional storage
• Decline: Only essential cookies and storage will be enabled; optional features may not work
• Preferences: Customize which cookie categories and storage technologies you want to enable

Update Your Preferences: You can change your cookie and storage settings at any time by clicking on the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of any page.

Consent Logging: When you make a choice about cookies and storage technologies, we log your consent decision for compliance purposes. This helps us demonstrate that we respect your privacy preferences and comply with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

5.2 Browser Settings

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Here's how to manage cookies in popular browsers:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
• Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions

5.3 Managing Web Storage

Most modern browsers also allow you to view and clear Web Storage (Local Storage and Session Storage) data:

• Chrome/Edge: Press F12 → Application tab → Local Storage / Session Storage
• Firefox: Press F12 → Storage tab → Local Storage / Session Storage
• Safari: Develop menu → Show Web Inspector → Storage tab

You can delete specific storage items or clear all storage data for our website from these browser developer tools.

5.4 Impact of Disabling Cookies and Storage

6. Third-Party Services

6.1 Hosting and Infrastructure

Our website is hosted on Vercel and uses Supabase for authentication and database services. Here's what you need to know about third-party cookies:

6.2 No Third-Party Tracking

7. Legal Compliance

7.1 GDPR Compliance (EU)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we:

• Obtain clear consent before setting non-essential cookies
• Provide detailed information about cookie purposes
• Allow you to withdraw consent at any time
• Only use cookies for legitimate purposes

7.2 CCPA Compliance (California)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), we:

• Do not sell personal information collected through cookies
• Provide transparency about cookie data collection
• Honor opt-out requests for non-essential cookies

8. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you through our cookie consent banner if changes are significant
• Request renewed consent if we add new cookie categories (like analytics or functional cookies)
• Clearly mark what has changed in our changelog

Our Commitment: If we ever decide to implement analytics or functional cookies in the future, we will update this policy BEFORE implementing them and will request your explicit consent through our cookie banner. We will never add tracking without your knowledge and permission.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us: