Cookie policy
Which cookies and similar technologies are used on AltComedy.com, what they do, and how to control them. Effective October 13, 2026.
Effective date: October 13, 2026. This cookie policy explains how AltComedy.com uses cookies and similar technologies such as local storage. It should be read together with our privacy policy, which explains how personal information is handled more generally.
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website, or a service it uses, stores in your browser. They let a site or service recognise your browser on later requests, for example to remember a setting, count visits or show relevant ads. Local storage is a similar browser feature that lets a site keep small pieces of data on your device; unlike cookies, it isn't sent to a server with each request.
Cookies set by the site you're visiting are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by other services, such as Google, are third-party cookies. Some cookies used by Google's services on our site are set on Google domains (for example doubleclick.net), while others, such as the Google Analytics cookies, are set on our domain on Google's behalf.
How AltComedy.com uses them
AltComedy.com is a static site with no user accounts, so we don't need cookies to log you in or keep a shopping basket. We use them for three things: remembering your display preference, understanding how the site is used (Google Analytics 4) and showing ads that pay for the site (Google AdSense).
| Category | Name(s) | Provider | Purpose | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary / preferences | theme (local storage, not a cookie) | AltComedy.com | Remembers whether you chose light or dark mode. Stays on your device and is never sent to us. | Until you clear your site data |
| Strictly necessary / security | Cloudflare security cookies (for example __cf_bm), only in some circumstances | Cloudflare | Helps our host tell people from automated traffic and protect the site from abuse. | Short-lived (typically up to 30 minutes) |
| Consent | Consent cookies such as FCCDCF and FCNEC | Google (consent message) | Stores the choices you make in Google's consent message (EEA, UK and Switzerland). | Up to about 13 months |
| Analytics | _ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes visitors and sessions so we can see which pages are read and how people find them. | Up to 2 years |
| Advertising | __gads, __gpi | Google AdSense | Serves and measures ads, limits how often you see the same ad, and helps prevent fraud. | Up to about 13 months |
| Advertising | IDE (the DoubleClick cookie) and other Google advertising cookies | Google (doubleclick.net) | Lets Google and its partners serve ads based on your visits to this and other sites, and measure ad performance. | Up to about 13 months in the EEA and UK; up to 2 years elsewhere |
| Advertising (third parties) | Varies | Other ad vendors and networks working with Google | May set cookies or use similar technologies to serve, personalise and measure ads. | Varies by vendor |
Cookie names and durations are set by the providers, not by us, and may change. The list above reflects the cookies these services commonly use; your browser may show a slightly different set depending on your location, your consent choices and the ads you are shown.
Advertising cookies in more detail
Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies, including the DoubleClick cookie, enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet. Ads on AltComedy.com may be personalised.
If you don't consent to personalised advertising, or personalised ads aren't permitted, Google may still show non-personalised ads, which use cookies or local storage for limited purposes such as frequency capping, aggregated ad reporting and combating fraud and abuse.
Learn more at How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
The consent message
If you visit from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you'll see a consent message provided by Google, a Google-certified consent management platform, when you first arrive. It lets you:
- accept the use of cookies and personal data for the purposes described;
- refuse them; or
- manage your choices purpose by purpose and vendor by vendor.
You can change your mind at any time using the privacy and cookie settings link the consent message provides, or by clearing your cookies for altcomedy.com, after which the message will appear again on your next visit. Strictly necessary storage, such as your theme setting, doesn't require consent.
How to manage cookies
Opt out of personalised ads
- Turn off personalised ads from Google in Google Ads Settings.
- Opt out of personalised advertising from many participating companies at www.aboutads.info/choices (US) or www.youronlinechoices.eu (Europe).
Opt out of Google Analytics
Install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on to stop Google Analytics collecting data about your visits on any website.
Use your browser settings
All major browsers let you view, block and delete cookies and site data, usually under "Privacy" or "Security" in the settings menu. You can block all cookies, only third-party cookies, or clear them when you close the browser. Many browsers also block third-party cookies by default or offer tracking protection.
Blocking cookies won't stop you reading AltComedy.com. If you clear local storage, the site will simply go back to following your device's light or dark setting. You may still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you.
Changes to this policy
We'll update this page if the cookies we use change, for example if we add or remove a service. The effective date at the top shows when it was last revised.
Questions
If you have questions about cookies on AltComedy.com, please use our contact form and choose "Privacy request".