Effective date: October 11, 2026
This policy explains which cookies cpeworld.org ("CPE World") uses and why. It's short because the list is short: a couple of security cookies from Cloudflare and one cookie that only our staff ever receive.
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store. Your browser sends it back with later requests to the same site, which lets the site remember something between page loads – that you've already passed a security check, for example, or that someone on our staff is signed in.
Cookies set for the site you're visiting are called first-party cookies; cookies set for a different domain are third-party cookies. Some cookies disappear when you close your browser, while others carry an expiry time and last until then.
What we use, and what we don't
CPE World uses only strictly necessary cookies, meaning cookies the site needs to stay secure and to let our staff manage it. We don't use analytics cookies, advertising cookies or any other cookie that tracks you across websites or records what you read. There are no ad networks, tracking pixels or audience measurement tools on the site, and we have no reader accounts, so there's no login cookie for readers either.
The cookies on this site
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
__cf_bm |
Cloudflare | Helps distinguish people from bots and filter out malicious automated traffic | About 30 minutes |
cf_clearance |
Cloudflare | Records that your browser passed a Cloudflare security check so you aren't asked again on every page; set only if you were shown a check | Accepted for our challenge period (30 minutes by default); the stored cookie may carry a later expiry date |
| Editorial session cookie (staff only) | CPE World | Keeps signed-in staff logged in to the editorial dashboard; never sent to readers | Up to 24 hours |
Most readers will only ever receive __cf_bm, and many won't receive any cookie at all.
Cloudflare's security cookies
The site is delivered through Cloudflare, which provides our content delivery network and protects the site from attacks and abusive bots. Every request passes through Cloudflare before it reaches our server, and Cloudflare may set the two cookies above while doing that work.
These cookies are set on cpeworld.org itself, so your browser treats them as first-party. They exist for security: Cloudflare uses them to judge whether traffic is automated and to remember that a visitor has already passed a check. Cloudflare states that these cookies are specific to the site that sets them and are not used for cross-site tracking or advertising.
Cloudflare documents a few other cookies tied to features we don't currently use, such as load balancing. If we turn on a feature that sets another cookie, we'll add it to the table. For Cloudflare's own data practices, see its privacy policy.
The staff session cookie
When someone on our editorial staff signs in to the site's dashboard, the site sets a first-party session cookie so they stay signed in while they work. It's created only at sign-in and expires after 24 hours at most. Readers never receive it, it isn't used to track anyone, and it holds no information about visitors.
Consent
Under the ePrivacy rules in the EU and UK, cookies that are strictly necessary to provide a service or keep it secure don't require consent, and US privacy laws don't require consent for them either. Since those are the only cookies we use, there are no optional cookies for you to accept or decline. If we ever add a cookie that isn't strictly necessary, we'll ask for your consent first where the law requires it and update this page.
Managing cookies in your browser
You can view, block or delete cookies in your browser's settings, usually under privacy or site data. Deleting them does no harm: they'll simply be set again on your next visit if they're needed.
Blocking cookies won't stop you from reading articles. If you block Cloudflare's cookies, though, you may see security checks more often, and in some cases a check may not complete until you allow cookies for cpeworld.org again.
Changes to this policy
If we add, remove or change a cookie, we'll update the table and the effective date at the top of this page.
Contact
Questions about cookies go through the contact form. For how we handle personal information more broadly, see our Privacy Policy.