Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to site owners.

This Cookie Policy explains how Colony.care ("we," "our," or "us") uses cookies and similar technologies on our website and application.

2. Types of Cookies We Use

2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of our platform. They enable core functionality such as authentication, session management, and security features. Without these cookies, the services you have requested cannot be provided.

• Authentication cookies: Used to keep you signed in and manage your session (via NextAuth.js). These are HTTP-only, secure cookies with a 30-day expiration.
• CSRF protection: Used to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks.
• Cookie consent: Used to remember your cookie preferences.

2.2 Performance & Analytics

These services help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information in aggregate. We use this data to improve our services. None of them set cookies — they are listed here for transparency about the third parties that process request data.

• Plausible Analytics: Cookieless, aggregate website analytics (page views, referrers, and which calls-to-action are used). No cookies, no cross-site tracking, and no personal data. Hosted in the EU.
• Vercel Analytics: Cookieless performance metrics (page load times, visitor counts). No personal data is collected.
• Sentry: Error monitoring and performance tracing. No personal data is included in error reports.

2.3 Functional Cookies

These cookies allow us to remember choices you make (such as your preferred theme or language) and provide enhanced, personalized features.

• Theme preference: Used to remember your light/dark mode preference.
• UI preferences: Used to remember your sidebar and layout preferences.

3. Cookies We Do Not Use

Colony.care is committed to user privacy. We do not use:

• Advertising or targeting cookies
• Third-party tracking cookies
• Social media tracking pixels
• Cross-site tracking technologies

We do not sell, trade, or share cookie data with advertisers or third-party marketing companies.

4. Third-Party Services

Some of our third-party service providers may set their own cookies. These include:

• Stripe: Our payment processor may set cookies for fraud prevention and payment security. Stripe's cookie usage is governed by their own privacy policy.
• Vercel: Our hosting provider may set minimal cookies for load balancing and performance optimization.

We have no control over third-party cookies. We recommend reviewing the privacy and cookie policies of these providers for more information.

5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can manage your cookie preferences in several ways:

• Cookie consent banner: When you first visit our site, you can accept or decline non-essential cookies via our cookie consent banner.
• Browser settings: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent.
• Device settings: Your mobile device may provide you with options to manage cookies and similar technologies.

Please note: Blocking strictly necessary cookies may affect the functionality of Colony.care. You may not be able to log in or use certain features if these cookies are disabled.

6. Data Retention

Cookie retention periods vary by type:

• Session cookies: Deleted when you close your browser.
• Authentication cookies: Expire after 30 days or when you log out.
• Preference cookies: Persist until you clear your browser data or change your preferences.
• Cookie consent: Persists for 12 months before requesting your preferences again.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR/CCPA

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you have the right to:

• Know what cookies are being used and for what purpose
• Opt out of non-essential cookies
• Request deletion of data collected through cookies
• Withdraw your consent at any time

For more information about your data protection rights, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

8. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

9. Contact Us

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