Cookie Policy

Which cookies are set when you visit PhoneticAlphabet.org, what they do, and how to turn them off.

Last reviewed on 2 May 2026.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file a website asks your browser to store. It's used by the site, or a third party loaded by the site, to recognise return visitors, remember preferences, measure traffic, or — in the case of advertising — choose what ads to show. "Similar technologies" such as localStorage, IDFAs, or pixel tags work in much the same way for the purpose of this policy.

This policy describes the cookies and similar storage that PhoneticAlphabet.org and its third-party services may set. For the broader picture, see the privacy policy.

Cookies in use, by category

1. Strictly necessary

None. The site has no login, no shopping basket, and no session state, so we don't need cookies to make basic features work. Pages render and the converter runs without any cookies being set by us directly.

2. Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4)

We use Google Analytics 4, with measurement ID G-H8R1KEH9LS, to understand aggregate usage. The cookies you'll typically see are:

  • _ga — distinguishes unique users; usually a 2-year lifetime.
  • _ga_<container-id> — used by GA4 to maintain the session state.

These cookies are set by the Google Analytics script on Google's domain and are governed by the Google Privacy Policy. They are not used for ad personalization.

3. Advertising cookies (Google AdSense)

We use Google AdSense to show ads. Google and its advertising partners may set cookies to measure ads, frequency-cap them, detect fraud, and — where you have not opted out and applicable law allows — personalize the ads you see. Cookies you may encounter from this category include:

These cookies are set by Google or its partners, not by PhoneticAlphabet.org directly. Their lifetimes vary; most expire within a year if not refreshed.

4. Functional / preference cookies

None at present. If we add a feature that needs to remember a preference (for example, a "dark mode toggle" or a converter setting), it will be stored in localStorage on your device, not on our server. This page will be updated to describe it.

How to opt out or limit cookies

Browser controls

All major browsers let you block third-party cookies, clear stored cookies, or delete a specific site's cookies. Look for "Privacy", "Cookies", or "Site settings" in your browser's preferences. Common quick-paths:

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies.
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection.
  • Safari: Settings → Privacy → Prevent cross-site tracking.
  • Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions.

Blocking third-party cookies will stop AdSense and many analytics cookies from being set without affecting your ability to read pages.

Google ad personalization

You can turn off personalized advertising for your Google account at Google Ads Settings. Ads will still be shown, but they won't be tailored to your inferred interests.

Industry-wide opt-outs

Browser-level "Do Not Track" / Global Privacy Control

If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, Google's systems honor it for users in regions where applicable law requires it. We do not separately read the legacy "Do Not Track" header.

For visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and other regions where consent is required for non-essential cookies, Google's consent mechanisms are used to gather and respect your choice. If you decline non-essential cookies, ads may be shown in a non-personalized form and detailed analytics will be limited accordingly.

You can withdraw or change consent at any time through your browser settings, the Google Ads Settings page linked above, or by clearing site data and revisiting the page.

Changes to this policy

We may update this cookie policy when the cookies in use change — for example, if a new analytics or advertising vendor is introduced, or one is removed. Material changes will be reflected in the "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page.

Questions

For questions about cookies or to make a privacy request, see the contact page. The full data practices, including non-cookie data, are described in the privacy policy.