Cookie Policy

1. What are cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, to remember your preferences across pages, and to provide information to the operators of the site or to third parties (for example, advertising networks).

This Cookie Policy describes the cookies and similar technologies used by Visitus, why they are used, and how you can control them. It complements our Privacy Policy, which explains the broader context of personal data processing on the site.

2. First-party cookies on visitus.pt

Visitus is a static publishing website. We do not set any first-party cookies on the visitus.pt domain for our own purposes. Specifically:

• No login or session cookies (the site has no user accounts).
• No first-party analytics cookies. We use Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-QW512FLM2D), but the related cookies (_ga and _ga_QW512FLM2D) are set in the third-party context on the .visitus.pt domain by Google. The GA4 script is loaded directly with anonymize_ip: true; see section 3 for details.
• No preference or personalization cookies (the site is the same for every visitor).

If a future feature requires first-party cookies, this policy will be updated and the cookie listed in section 4 before the feature ships.

3. Third-party cookies (AdSense, Google Analytics, Mediavine)

3.1 Google AdSense

On pages of Visitus that display advertising, Google sets third-party cookies through the AdSense and DoubleClick services. These cookies are set by Google, not by Visitus, and are governed by Google's own policies.

The AdSense script is loaded only after first user interaction (deferred load) and is not present on legal, contact, author, or about pages. As a result, no AdSense cookie is set when you visit those pages.

3.2 Google Analytics 4

Visitus uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4, measurement ID G-QW512FLM2D) to understand how visitors interact with the site at an aggregate level. The GA4 script is loaded directly on every page from googletagmanager.com, with anonymize_ip: true enabled.

Because IP anonymization is enabled, your full IP address is never recorded by Google: the last octet of an IPv4 address (or the last 80 bits of an IPv6 address) is truncated before the data leaves Google's collection servers. Data is then processed and stored by Google LLC on servers operated in the United States. Default GA4 data retention is 14 months. You can opt out at any time by installing the official Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by enabling the Global Privacy Control signal in your browser.

3.3 Journey by Mediavine (grow.me)

Visitus uses Journey by Mediavine, an engagement widget that allows readers to save favorite articles, receive recommendations, and join an opt-in newsletter. This widget is provided by Mediavine, LLC (United States) and respects user consent through its own internal mechanism, in compliance with GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive. The Mediavine script faves.grow.me/main.js loads on page load to display the engagement widget (save articles, recommendations), but only activates tracking cookies after user interaction with the widget.

Cookies set by Mediavine:

• grow.me session cookies (set only after user engagement with the widget): manage widget state and ratings during your visit.
• Persistent cookies (set only if you opt into saved content or the newsletter): remember saved articles and widget preferences across visits.
• Site identifier: distinguishes our site from other Mediavine partner sites.

Data collected by Mediavine when the widget is active may include: engagement actions (article saves, ratings, time on page), email address if you opt into the newsletter via the widget, and aggregate browsing patterns within Visitus. This data is processed by Mediavine, LLC under their Privacy Policy.

You can opt out at any time by clicking Manage preferences inside the Mediavine widget itself, by simply not interacting with the widget on the page, or by enabling the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in your browser, which Mediavine honors.

Where the ePrivacy rules of your jurisdiction require prior consent for non-essential cookies, AdSense and GA4 cookies are governed by the Visitus banner, while the Journey by Mediavine engagement widget operates through its own GDPR/ePrivacy-compliant consent layer (honoring Global Privacy Control).

4. Specific cookie list

The cookies below may be set by Google on monetized Visitus pages once advertising is enabled. Names and durations come from Google's published documentation and may change as Google evolves their stack.

The exact list of cookies set by Google can vary based on your region, your previous Google ad settings, and the specific advert displayed. Google maintains its own list at policies.google.com/technologies/cookies.

5. How to manage or disable cookies

You can manage cookies in three ways:

5.1 Through your browser settings

Every modern browser allows you to view, block, or delete cookies. Doing so will not break navigation on Visitus, but advertising on monetized pages may be less relevant to you.

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

5.2 Through Google Ad Settings

You can opt out of personalized advertising at adssettings.google.com. You can also opt out of third-party vendor tracking through the Network Advertising Initiative at optout.networkadvertising.org or YourAdChoices at optout.aboutads.info.

5.3 Through the Visitus consent banner

Where required by your jurisdiction, a consent banner is shown on your first visit. You can change your choice at any time by clearing the visitus.pt site data in your browser, which will trigger the banner again on your next visit.

6. Cookie consent

For visitors located in the EU, the EEA, or the UK, AdSense and Google Analytics 4 are both available through the Visitus banner controls, in line with the EU ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC and the local implementing law of your country. The GA4 client runs with anonymize_ip: true so that no full IP address reaches Google. The Journey by Mediavine widget script loads on page load but Mediavine operates its own consent layer to gate the tracking cookies it sets, and honors the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal where supplied by your browser.

For visitors located outside these jurisdictions, advertising and engagement cookies may be set on first visit unless you take action through the mechanisms described in section 5.

7. Updates to this policy

This Cookie Policy may be updated when our cookie practices, the third-party services we rely on, or applicable law change. The "Last updated" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be announced on the home page for at least thirty days.

8. Contact us

For any question or request related to cookies on Visitus, please contact:

Best Assistance Group LTD
Contact: our contact form
Postal address: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom