Cookies at the University of Kent

The University of Kent (“the University”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies on our websites to ensure they function correctly, to improve your experience, and to understand how our services are used. 

This policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, and the choices available to you. It applies to websites and services operated by the University of Kent under the kent.ac.uk domain and related services.

Further information about how we process personal data collected via cookies is set out in our Privacy Notice: https://www.kent.ac.uk/applicants/policies/privacy-notice.

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, as well as to provide information to website owners. 

Cookies may be set by the University (first-party cookies) or by third-party services that we use. 

Cookies can remain on your device for different periods of time: 

• Session cookies are temporary and are deleted automatically when you close your browser. They are typically used to support essential website functions during your visit.
• Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period of time or until you delete them. These cookies are used to remember your preferences and recognise you when you return to our website.  

We do not set cookies that are not strictly necessary unless and until you have provided your consent, in accordance with applicable privacy and electronic communications laws.

Where possible, we limit the duration of cookies. Most non-essential cookies expire within 13 months.

We use cookies to: 

• ensure our websites operate securely and effectively
• remember your preferences and settings
• understand how visitors use our websites
• improve the structure, content and performance of our services
• support communications and marketing activities where appropriate.

We use the following categories of cookies: 

Strictly necessary cookies 

These cookies are essential for the operation of our websites. They enable core functionality such as security, network management and accessibility. 

They are used, for example, to: 

• maintain the security of the website and help prevent fraudulent activity  
• manage network traffic and ensure pages load correctly  
• remember your cookie preferences  

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide services you have requested (such as logging in or completing transactions) and therefore do not require your consent. 

Strictly necessary cookies are set without consent in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Where these cookies involve the processing of personal data, we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis under data protection law. 

The following categories of cookies are not strictly necessary and are only set where you have provided your consent: 

Analytics cookies 

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our websites by collecting information that may constitute personal data under data protection law.  

For example, we use analytics services such as Google Analytics and similar tools to analyse website usage and improve performance. We configure analytics cookies to minimise the collection of personal data, for example by truncating IP addresses where possible. 

Functionality cookies 

These cookies allow our websites to remember choices you make (such as language preferences) and provide enhanced, more personalised features. 

Marketing cookies 

These cookies are used to deliver relevant content and measure the effectiveness of communications and campaigns. 

For example, we may use advertising or remarketing technologies provided by third parties (such as Google) to present relevant information and measure the effectiveness of advertising and communications to users who have previously visited our websites. 

Further information about cookies and consent preferences:

Some cookies are set by third-party services that appear on our websites. These services may collect information about your use of our websites and, in some cases, across other websites. 

We use the following third-party services: 

• Google (Analytics and Advertising) – to understand how our websites are used and to measure the effectiveness of communications and campaigns
• LinkedIn Advertising – to measure and deliver relevant content and advertising to users of LinkedIn services
• Meta Advertising (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and the Meta Audience Network) – to deliver and evaluate advertising and communications on Meta platforms 
• TikTok Advertising – to measure engagement and deliver relevant content via TikTok 
• Microsoft Clarity – to analyse user behaviour and improve website usability 
• Hotjar – to understand how users interact with our websites through heatmaps and session recordings 
• Optimizely – to test and optimise website content and user experience 
• Crazy Egg – to analyse user behaviour and improve website performance 
• Ahrefs – to monitor website performance and usage trends.

Further information about how these third parties process personal data can be found in their respective privacy policies, which we recommend you review.  

These third parties may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information such as: 

• pages visited and interactions with our websites 
• device, browser and technical information 
• approximate location (based on IP address) 
• referral sources (for example, how you arrived at our website). 

These third parties may combine this information with data collected from other websites to build profiles about you and show you targeted advertising across other websites and platforms. These cookies are only set where you have provided your consent.

Embedded third-party content

Our websites may include embedded content from third-party services such as YouTube, social media platforms, or other external providers.

When you view or interact with this embedded content, these third parties may set cookies on your device and collect information about your interaction, in the same way as if you had visited their website directly.

Embedded content that relies on non-essential cookies is only activated once you have provided your consent.

When you first visit our website, you will be asked to choose whether to accept or reject non-essential cookies. Non-essential cookies are not set unless and until you have provided your consent. It is as easy to reject non-essential cookies as it is to accept them. 

You can: 

• accept all cookies 
• reject non-essential cookies 
• customise your preferences. 

You can change your preferences at any time by selecting "Update your cookie consent" in our website footer. Withdrawing your consent is just as simple as giving it. 

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the website functions. 

Some of the third-party services we use may transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom. For example, providers such as Google, Meta and LinkedIn may process data in the United States or other jurisdictions. Where this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK data protection law.

These safeguards may include the use of the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or transfers to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection by the UK Government (adequacy regulations).

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation or our services. Please check this page regularly for updates.

This policy was last updated on 22 May 2026.

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
University of Kent
Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ
Email: dataprotection@kent.ac.uk

You can view our privacy notice here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/applicants/policies/privacy-notice