1. About this policy
This Cookie Policy explains how Meridian Digital Ltd(“we”, “us”, “Meridian”) uses cookies and similar technologies on our website at www.meridianweb.co.uk. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
This policy complies with the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR) as amended, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) as it applies to the use of cookies and similar storage technologies.
2. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, phone) by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, provide information to website owners, and improve the user experience. Cookies can be “persistent” (remaining on your device until deleted or expired) or “session” (deleted when you close your browser).
Similar technologies include localStorage (browser-based storage), pixels, web beacons and device fingerprinting. This policy covers all such technologies.
3. Our approach to cookies
We believe in a privacy-first approach. By default, our website uses Plausible Analytics, which is fully cookieless — it does not set any cookies, does not use localStorage for tracking, does not collect personal data and does not track individual users across sessions or sites. Plausible is compliant with PECR and the UK GDPR without requiring a cookie consent banner.
In its default configuration, this website sets zero tracking cookies. The only storage used is a localStorage item for your theme preference (light/dark mode), which is not a cookie and does not contain personal data.
4. Cookies and technologies we use
4.1 Strictly necessary (no consent required)
These are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off. Under PECR Regulation 6(4), strictly necessary cookies are exempt from the consent requirement.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| meridian-theme | First-party (localStorage) | Stores your light/dark theme preference. Not a cookie — a localStorage item. Contains no personal data. | Persistent until cleared |
| __stripe_mid | Stripe (third-party) | Fraud prevention and detection during checkout. Set only when you initiate a payment. | 1 year |
| __stripe_sid | Stripe (third-party) | Session-level fraud prevention during checkout. Set only when you initiate a payment. | Session (30 minutes) |
Note on Stripe cookies: Stripe's fraud-prevention cookies (__stripe_mid and __stripe_sid) are classified as strictly necessary because they are essential for processing secure payments. They are only set when you interact with a payment form or checkout flow. The ICO has confirmed that cookies which are strictly necessary for a service explicitly requested by the user (such as payment processing) are exempt from the PECR consent requirement.
4.2 Analytics cookies (consent required)
These cookies are only loaded if you explicitly opt in via the cookie consent mechanism on our website. They are never loaded by default.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics 4 (third-party) | Distinguishes unique visitors for anonymised usage analytics. IP anonymisation is enabled. | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 (third-party) | Maintains session state for GA4 measurement. Contains a unique session identifier. | 2 years |
GA4 data is retained for 14 months from the date of collection, after which it is automatically deleted by Google. IP anonymisation is enabled, meaning Google truncates IP addresses before storage. For more details, see the Google Privacy Policy.
4.3 Preference cookies
We do not currently set any preference cookies beyond the meridian-theme localStorage item described above. If this changes in future, this policy will be updated and consent will be obtained where required.
4.4 Marketing and advertising cookies
We do not use any marketing, advertising, or social media tracking cookies. We do not use Facebook Pixel, Google Ads remarketing tags, LinkedIn Insight Tag, or any other advertising tracking technology on our website.
5. Third-party services
The following third-party services may interact with your browser when you use our website:
- Stripe, Inc. — sets strictly necessary cookies during payment processing (see Section 4.1). Stripe Cookie Policy.
- Vercel, Inc. — our hosting provider. Vercel may collect server-side logs (truncated IP, request path, user agent) for performance and security. Vercel does not set client-side cookies on our behalf. Vercel Privacy Policy.
- Plausible Insights OÜ — our default analytics provider. Plausible sets no cookies and collects no personal data. All data is aggregated and anonymised. Plausible Privacy Policy.
- Google LLC — GA4 analytics cookies are set only with your explicit consent (see Section 4.2). Google Cookie Policy.
6. Cookie consent mechanism
When you first visit our website, if Google Analytics 4 or any other consent-dependent technology is enabled, you will be presented with a clear cookie consent banner that:
- Explains what categories of cookies are used and why.
- Allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies before they are set.
- Provides a link to this Cookie Policy for detailed information.
- Does not use pre-ticked boxes, dark patterns, or misleading language.
- Treats closing the banner without making a selection as a rejection of non-essential cookies (no cookies are set without affirmative action).
Your consent preferences are stored in a localStorage item so we can remember your choice on subsequent visits. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser data or using the cookie settings accessible from the footer of our website.
7. How to manage and delete cookies
In addition to our consent mechanism, you can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to view, manage and delete cookies. Please note that disabling strictly necessary cookies may prevent parts of the website (particularly the checkout process) from functioning correctly.
Instructions for the most common browsers:
To opt out of Google Analytics across all websites, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
8. Do Not Track (DNT)
Some browsers transmit a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. While there is no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, our default use of Plausible Analytics means that no tracking cookies are set regardless of your DNT preference. If GA4 is enabled, it respects the DNT signal and will not load analytics cookies when DNT is active.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, the technologies available, or regulatory requirements. Material changes will be highlighted via a notice on our website. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when this policy was last revised.
10. Contact us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this policy, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@meridianweb.co.uk
- Address: Meridian Digital Ltd, 1 Finsbury Avenue, London EC2M 2PF