Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site function properly, remember your preferences, and provide analytics about usage.

2. Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Required)

These cookies are necessary for the Service to function. They cannot be disabled.

• dba_token: Authentication session cookie. Stores your signed login token so you remain signed in. HttpOnly, Secure, expires after 7 days.
• dba_consent: Remembers whether you accepted or rejected optional cookies, so we don't ask again. Set when you choose in the cookie banner or Cookie Preferences. Expires after 1 year.

Functional Cookies (Optional)

• dba_ft: First-party attribution cookie. Records only how you first reached the site (a general source such as a search engine, AI assistant or social network, any utm campaign tags, the first page viewed and the time), so we can see which channels people sign up from. Holds no personal data and is not shared with third parties. For visitors in the EU, EEA or UK it is set only after you accept optional cookies; elsewhere it is set unless you decline them in Cookie Preferences, and declining deletes it. Expires after 90 days.
• dba_cta: First-party attribution cookie. Records which page you were on when you clicked through to pricing, signup or checkout, and the plan you clicked, so we can see which pages lead people to sign up. Holds no personal data and is not shared with third parties. Same consent rule as dba_ft: EU, EEA and UK visitors only after accepting; elsewhere unless you decline, and declining deletes it. Expires after 14 days.

Analytics Cookies (Optional)

We use Google Analytics 4 (provided by Google LLC) to understand site usage. For visitors in the EU, EEA or UK (detected from the browser's time zone), the Google Analytics script is not loaded at all, so it neither sets cookies nor receives any data, until you grant analytics consent via the Cookie Preferences modal. For visitors elsewhere, analytics is on by default and may set cookies until you opt out in Cookie Preferences. Analytics cookies are NOT set once you decline or withdraw analytics consent, wherever you are.

Analytics cookies that may be set include:

• _ga — Visitor identifier used to distinguish unique users. Duration: up to 2 years.
• _ga_<container-id> — Session-state cookie used by our analytics service to record visit data. Duration: up to 2 years.
• _gid — Visitor identifier (legacy). Duration: 24 hours.
• _gat / _gat_gtag_* — Throttle cookies that limit the rate of requests sent to the analytics endpoint. Duration: ~1 minute.

Cookie names listed above reflect the technical names set by the analytics services we use. Analytics data is used in aggregated, non-advertising form to understand which pages and features are useful. We do not combine analytics data with account-level personal data to build cross-site advertising profiles, and we do not share analytics data for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Browser storage

We also save small items in your browser's local and session storage. They stay on your device and are never sent to third parties: your display name, so the menu shows you as signed in without a flash (dba_nav_hint); whether you closed a banner, bar or install prompt (for example dba_upgrade_bar_dismissed, fbanner_dismissed, dba_ios_install_dismissed); a short-lived copy of the live feed so it loads fast (dba_feed_cache); your alert sound and push settings; and your Learn progress. You can clear these at any time in your browser settings.

3. Third-Party Cookies

The following third-party services may set their own cookies during specific user actions, governed by their respective privacy policies:

• Stripe — Sets cookies during card checkout to detect fraud, maintain session state, and prevent bot abuse. Required to complete a card payment. Stripe Privacy Policy.
• NOWPayments — May set cookies during cryptocurrency checkout to maintain checkout session state. Required to complete a crypto payment. NOWPayments Privacy Policy.
• Cloudflare — Sets security-related cookies (including __cf_bm for bot management and cf_clearance for challenge-validated sessions). These are essential for service security and cannot be disabled while continuing to use the Service. Cloudflare Privacy Policy.

4. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can control non-essential cookies in two ways:

• Via our Cookie Preferences modal — Click "Cookie Preferences" in the page footer at any time to open the modal. From there you can grant or revoke consent for analytics cookies. Essential cookies cannot be disabled because they are required for login, session management, and security.
• Via your browser settings — Most browsers allow you to view and delete existing cookies, block cookies from specific or all sites, and set preferences for first-party vs. third-party cookies. Note that blocking essential cookies will prevent you from logging in or using paid features. Browser-level controls are independent of our Cookie Preferences modal.

If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, we treat it as a valid request to opt out of any sale or sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising (which we do not do in the first place — see our Privacy Policy).

5. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy as our use of cookies evolves. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Material changes affecting analytics or third-party cookies will trigger a refresh of the Cookie Preferences modal so you can re-confirm your preferences.

6. Contact

For questions about our use of cookies, contact us at team@deepbluealpha.io.