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Cookie Policy

Last updated: January 1, 2025  |  Effective date: January 1, 2025

This Cookie Policy explains how MatBook, Inc. ("MatBook," "we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website at thernatbook.com and our research data management platform (collectively, the "Services"). This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides broader information about how we collect and use personal data.

By continuing to use our Services after reading this policy, you consent to the use of cookies as described herein, to the extent permitted by applicable law. You can withdraw your consent and manage your cookie preferences at any time using the methods described in Section 5 below.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, tablet, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used by website owners to make their websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information and to personalize the user experience.

Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, MatBook) are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies." Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website, such as analytics services, support chat systems, and embedded content from other websites. The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognize your device both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.

In addition to cookies, we may use similar tracking technologies:

  • Web beacons (pixel tags): Small graphic images or code embedded in web pages or emails that enable us to determine whether a page has been viewed or an email has been opened, and to measure various actions by users of our Services.
  • Local storage: Browser-based storage mechanisms including localStorage and sessionStorage that allow us to store data on your device for session management and user preferences. Unlike cookies, local storage data is not transmitted to servers with each request.
  • Fingerprinting: We do not use device fingerprinting or cross-site tracking techniques that are designed to identify your device across different websites without your knowledge.

2. Why Do We Use Cookies?

We use cookies for several purposes:

2.1 Essential Operations

Some cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our Services. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. These include cookies that:

  • Maintain your login session after you authenticate, so you do not need to re-enter your credentials on every page
  • Store your security token and session identifier to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks
  • Remember your cookie consent preferences so we do not ask you repeatedly
  • Enable the core features of the research data management platform, including experiment record navigation and data upload functionality
  • Maintain load balancing to distribute your requests across our server infrastructure

2.2 Performance and Analytics

We use analytics cookies to understand how visitors use our Services, which pages are most visited, where visitors come from, and how they navigate through the platform. This information helps us improve the Services and make them more useful. Analytics cookies may collect:

  • The number of visitors to each page of the website and platform
  • The source of traffic (e.g., direct, search engine, referral from another site)
  • Time spent on each page and the sequence of pages visited
  • Which features of the platform are used most frequently and by how many users
  • Error rates and performance metrics for different parts of the Services
  • Browser type, device type, and operating system (without identifying specific individuals)

2.3 Functionality

Functionality cookies allow us to remember choices you make on our Services and to provide enhanced, personalized features. These may include:

  • Remembering your preferred language and display settings
  • Remembering your preferred layout and view settings within the platform
  • Pre-filling forms with information you have previously provided
  • Remembering your preferences for notifications and communication settings
  • Maintaining the state of multi-step processes such as data upload workflows

2.4 Marketing and Communication

Subject to your consent where required by applicable law, we may use cookies to understand your interests based on your interactions with our website, and to deliver communications and content relevant to those interests. Marketing cookies may be used to:

  • Measure the effectiveness of our email campaigns by tracking which emails lead to website visits
  • Understand which content topics and feature descriptions generate the most interest among different audience segments
  • Frequency-cap communications so that you do not see the same message repeatedly

We do not sell your personal data or use cross-site tracking cookies for behavioral advertising across third-party websites. Any marketing tracking we employ is limited to our own website and Services.

3. Types of Cookies by Duration

3.1 Session Cookies

Session cookies are temporary cookies that are deleted from your device when you close your browser. We use session cookies to maintain your login state and to enable core platform functionality during a browsing session. Session cookies do not collect information from your computer and do not persist after you close your browser.

3.2 Persistent Cookies

Persistent cookies remain on your device after you close your browser and are read by the website that set them when you return. We use persistent cookies to remember your preferences and settings so you do not need to re-configure them on each visit. Persistent cookies set by MatBook expire at the times described in the table in Section 4, or when you clear your browser's cookies.

4. Specific Cookies We Use

The following table describes the specific categories of cookies we deploy on our Services:

4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are required for the Services to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions you take that amount to a request for services.

  • mb_session: Session cookie — maintains your authenticated login state during a browsing session. Expires when you close your browser or log out. Set by: thernatbook.com.
  • mb_csrf: Session cookie — CSRF protection token to secure form submissions against cross-site request forgery attacks. Expires when you close your browser. Set by: thernatbook.com.
  • mb_cookie_consent: Persistent cookie, 12 months — records your cookie consent decision so we do not display the consent banner on every page. Set by: thernatbook.com.
  • mb_lb: Session cookie — load balancer affinity cookie that routes your requests to the same server within a session for consistency. Expires when you close your browser. Set by: thernatbook.com.

4.2 Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how our Services are being used. All data collected is aggregated and anonymous.

  • _ga: Persistent cookie, 2 years — Google Analytics cookie that distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. Collects information about how users use the website. Set by: Google Analytics. You can opt out via Google's opt-out tools.
  • _ga_[ID]: Persistent cookie, 2 years — Google Analytics 4 session and campaign tracking cookie. Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited. Set by: Google Analytics.
  • _gid: Persistent cookie, 24 hours — Google Analytics cookie that stores and updates a unique value for each page visited. Used to distinguish users. Set by: Google Analytics.
  • mb_analytics: Persistent cookie, 12 months — MatBook first-party analytics cookie that tracks which platform features are used most frequently. Data is processed in aggregated form only. Set by: thernatbook.com.

4.3 Functionality Cookies

These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalization.

  • mb_prefs: Persistent cookie, 12 months — stores your display preferences including theme settings, default sort orders, and notification preferences. Set by: thernatbook.com.
  • mb_lang: Persistent cookie, 12 months — stores your language and locale preferences. Set by: thernatbook.com.
  • mb_ui_state: Session cookie — stores the current UI state (expanded/collapsed sections, active tabs) to maintain consistency during a browsing session. Expires when you close your browser. Set by: thernatbook.com.

5. How to Control Cookies

5.1 Cookie Consent Tool

When you first visit our website, we display a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept all cookies or to manage your preferences for non-essential cookie categories. You can access the preference management tool at any time by clicking "Manage Preferences" in the cookie banner or by contacting us at privacy@matbook.io.

5.2 Browser Settings

Most browsers allow you to manage cookies through their settings. You can typically:

  • View the cookies that have been set and delete individual cookies or all cookies
  • Block all cookies from all websites
  • Block third-party cookies while accepting first-party cookies
  • Set the browser to notify you when cookies are being set

To manage cookies in your browser, consult your browser's help documentation:

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
  • Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
  • Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
  • Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data

Please note that blocking all cookies may prevent you from accessing certain features of our Services, including the ability to log in. We recommend blocking only third-party cookies if you wish to maintain full platform functionality while limiting tracking.

5.3 Opt Out of Analytics

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. This add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript code from sharing information with Google Analytics about your browsing activity.

5.4 Do Not Track

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want to be tracked. Because there is currently no widely accepted standard for responding to DNT signals, our Services do not change their behavior in response to DNT signals. We do, however, comply with your choices made through our cookie consent tool regardless of whether you have DNT enabled.

6. Third-Party Cookies

As described in the cookie table above, some cookies on our Services are set by third parties, including Google Analytics. These third parties may use the cookies they set to track your activity across multiple websites over time. We do not control the settings of third-party cookies, and you should refer to the privacy policies of those third parties for more information about how they use personal data collected through their cookies.

We have data processing agreements in place with our analytics providers that restrict their use of data collected through cookies on our Services to the purposes we specify (analytics and performance measurement) and prohibit them from using that data for their own advertising purposes or for sharing with additional third parties.

7. Cookies and Your Privacy Rights

In jurisdictions where cookies constitute processing of personal data, you have rights in relation to that processing. These rights, which vary by jurisdiction, may include the right to access, correct, or delete personal data collected through cookies; the right to object to processing; and the right to withdraw consent. You can exercise these rights through the mechanisms described in Section 5 of this policy or by contacting us at privacy@matbook.io.

For users in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom: non-essential cookies require your specific consent under applicable law, and we will only set such cookies after you have affirmatively opted in through our consent tool. You can withdraw that consent at any time by accessing the preference management tool.

8. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, in applicable law, or in our privacy practices. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, notify you through the cookie consent banner or by other means. Your continued use of our Services after an updated Cookie Policy takes effect indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact Us

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

  • Email: privacy@matbook.io
  • Mail: MatBook, Inc., Attn: Privacy, Boston, MA, USA

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