Cookie Policy

Scope and Purpose

This Cookie Policy explains how thegeekmenu.com and related online services owned or operated by The Geek Menu LLC may use cookies and similar technologies. It applies to the Website and its online features, including pages, forms, comments, recipe tools, embedded content, communications, transactions, and other services that may be offered over time.

This Policy should be read together with the Privacy Policy and any privacy notice presented when information is collected. It does not govern the independent practices of another website, application, platform, or service.

What Cookies and Similar Technologies Are

Cookies are small files or pieces of information stored by a browser or device. Similar technologies may include pixels, tags, embedded scripts, local storage, software-development tools, device or browser identifiers, and other technologies that help a website or service recognize a browser, remember information, measure activity, maintain security, or provide a feature.

Some technologies operate only during a browsing session, while others may remain for a longer period. Not every technology or purpose described in this Policy will necessarily be active at all times.

How These Technologies May Be Used

The Geek Menu LLC may use cookies and similar technologies to operate and secure the Website, maintain accessibility and network functions, remember choices, process forms, support comments or other community features, enable media or embedded content, detect errors, understand Website use, improve performance, support transactions, and provide other requested features.

These technologies may also support advertising, sponsorships, affiliate relationships, campaign measurement, and other marketing activities where applicable. The technologies and providers used may change as the Website, services, and legal requirements evolve.

Strictly Necessary Technologies

Strictly necessary technologies support functions required for the Website to operate, such as security, fraud and abuse prevention, network management, accessibility, load balancing, consent records, and requested services. These technologies may remain active because the Website cannot reliably provide certain functions without them.

The Website Cookie Settings system identifies Strictly Necessary technologies as always on. A browser or device may still block them, but doing so may cause parts of the Website to stop working correctly.

Functional and Embedded Media Technologies

Functional technologies may remember preferences, improve convenience, support optional features, or personalize parts of the Website. Embedded media technologies may be used when a page includes a video, map, social post, sharing tool, recipe tool, comment service, or other feature operated or supported by another provider.

These technologies are treated as optional through the current Cookie Settings system unless they are required to provide a feature specifically requested by the visitor or applicable law permits another basis for their use.

Analytics Technologies

Analytics technologies may help The Geek Menu LLC understand visits, page use, traffic sources, errors, performance, general audience patterns, and how content is found or used. Analytics information may include technical or usage data such as browser type, device information, IP address, referring page, pages viewed, interactions, and approximate location derived from an IP address.

Analytics technologies are treated as optional through the current Cookie Settings system. Information collected by an analytics provider may also be governed by that provider’s agreements, privacy policy, cookie policy, and retention practices.

Advertising and Affiliate Technologies

Advertising technologies may help deliver, limit, personalize, or measure advertisements, sponsored content, affiliate activity, and marketing campaigns. Depending on the provider, the Website’s active practices, and applicable law, some advertising activity may be treated as targeted advertising, sharing, or a sale of personal information.

Advertising technologies are treated as optional through the current Cookie Settings system. Additional information about advertising, sponsorships, affiliate links, commissions, and editorial independence is provided in the Affiliate & Advertising Disclosure and Privacy Policy.

First-Party and Third-Party Technologies

Some technologies may be set directly by the Website, while others may be set or operated by service providers or other third parties that support hosting, security, analytics, communications, payments, advertising, affiliate programs, spam prevention, embedded content, community features, or other services.

The Geek Menu LLC may select and configure providers, but a third party may process information under its own agreements and maintain its own privacy, security, cookie, and retention practices. The presence of a third-party feature or integration does not make that provider’s independent practices part of this Policy.

Other Websites and Services

The Website may link to another website, application, platform, or service, or may allow a visitor to interact with content supplied by one. When a visitor leaves the Website or interacts with an independently operated service, that third party may use its own cookies, pixels, identifiers, or other technologies.

The Geek Menu LLC does not control cookies or similar technologies used on another website or by an independently operated third-party service. Those organizations maintain their own privacy policies, cookie policies, terms, settings, and legal responsibilities, which should be reviewed directly before using their services.

Cookie Choices and Consent

The Website may present a Cookie Settings tool that allows visitors to deny optional technologies, accept optional technologies, or save customized choices. Strictly Necessary technologies remain enabled through that tool. Choices may be changed later through the available Cookie Settings control.

Where consent is required, optional technologies should remain inactive until the applicable choice is made. Withdrawing or changing a choice applies going forward and does not make earlier processing unlawful when it occurred under a valid basis. A saved preference may be remembered for a limited period, currently up to 180 days, after which the Website may request a new choice.

Browser and Device Controls

Browsers, devices, and some service providers may offer separate controls that allow cookies or other storage to be viewed, blocked, limited, or deleted. These controls operate independently from the Website’s Cookie Settings tool and may affect how the Website or an embedded service functions.

Deleting cookies or changing browser settings may remove a saved preference and cause the Website to request a new choice. Blocking Strictly Necessary or functional technologies may prevent certain pages, media, forms, settings, or services from operating correctly.

Global Privacy Control and Other Signals

Where required by applicable law, the Website may recognize a qualifying browser-based opt-out preference signal, including Global Privacy Control, for the browser or device that sends it. The current Cookie Settings system keeps the Advertising category off when a recognized Global Privacy Control signal is detected.

Older Do Not Track signals do not have one universally applied response standard and may not be recognized in the same way. This does not limit any response required for a legally recognized opt-out preference signal or any privacy right available under applicable law.

Retention and Additional Information

The duration of a cookie or similar technology depends on its purpose, configuration, provider, and applicable requirements. Some expire when a browsing session ends, while others remain until they expire, are replaced, or are deleted. Third-party providers may apply their own retention periods.

Additional information about personal information, service providers, advertising, privacy rights, security, and information-processing practices is available in the Privacy Policy and its applicable appendices.

Changes to This Policy

This Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in Website features, technologies, service providers, advertising or affiliate practices, privacy controls, business operations, or legal requirements.

The current approved version will be made available through thegeekmenu.com, and the Last Updated date will identify the most recent approved revision. A revised Policy becomes effective upon publication unless another effective date is stated.

Related Policies

This Policy complements any other terms, policies, notices, disclosures, or agreements that may apply to The Geek Menu LLC’s website, services, products, promotions, programs, events, or future physical locations. For matters involving cookies, similar technologies, tracking, online identifiers, consent, privacy choices, or related information processing, this Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy will generally apply.

Where provisions differ, the document most directly addressing the matter will control to the extent of the difference unless applicable law requires otherwise.

Contact

Questions about this Policy, the Website’s Cookie Settings, or related privacy practices may be directed to: