Introduction to Cookies and Similar Technologies

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

Advanced Step AI uses cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons, pixels, and local storage) to enhance your experience on our platform, provide personalized content, analyze how our services are used, and ensure the security and functionality of our AI-powered internet safety platform.

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, what types of cookies we use, and how you can control your cookie preferences. By continuing to use our website and services, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

How We Use Cookies and Their Purposes

We use cookies for several important purposes that enhance your experience and help us provide better services:

• Essential Functionality: These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled without severely affecting your user experience
• Security and Authentication: Cookies help us verify your identity, maintain secure sessions, and protect against fraudulent activities
• Performance Monitoring: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website, allowing us to improve functionality and user experience
• Personalization: Cookies enable us to remember your preferences and provide customized content and recommendations
• Analytics and Research: We use cookies to analyze website traffic, user behavior patterns, and service effectiveness
• Marketing and Communication: Cookies help us deliver relevant content and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Third-Party Integration: Some cookies are set by third-party services we use to enhance our platform's functionality

Detailed Types of Cookies We Use

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of our website and cannot be disabled. They enable core functionality such as:

• Session Management: Maintaining your login status and user session across pages
• Security Features: Protecting against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks and other security threats
• Load Balancing: Distributing website traffic across our servers for optimal performance
• Privacy Preferences: Remembering your cookie consent choices and privacy settings
• Form Data: Preserving form information as you navigate through multi-step processes
• Shopping Cart: Maintaining items in your cart during the purchasing process

Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information about how you use our website to help us improve our services:

• Page Views and Navigation: Tracking which pages are visited most frequently and how users navigate through our site
• Feature Usage: Understanding which features and tools are most valuable to our users
• Error Tracking: Identifying technical issues and areas where users encounter problems
• Performance Metrics: Measuring page load times, server response times, and overall site performance
• User Journey Analysis: Understanding how users discover and interact with our content
• A/B Testing: Comparing different versions of pages or features to optimize user experience

Functional and Personalization Cookies

These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced features:

• Language and Region: Remembering your preferred language and regional settings
• Display Preferences: Saving your choices for themes, layouts, and accessibility options
• Search History: Storing your recent searches and analysis requests for quick access
• Customized Dashboard: Personalizing your user interface based on your usage patterns
• Notification Preferences: Managing your choices for alerts, updates, and communications
• Recently Viewed Content: Keeping track of recently analyzed websites and security reports

Marketing and Advertising Cookies

These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure marketing campaign effectiveness:

• Targeted Advertising: Showing you relevant ads based on your interests and browsing behavior
• Campaign Tracking: Measuring the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns across different channels
• Conversion Tracking: Understanding which marketing efforts lead to sign-ups or purchases
• Retargeting: Showing relevant ads to users who have previously visited our website
• Social Media Integration: Enabling sharing features and tracking social media engagement

Third-Party Cookies and External Services

We work with trusted third-party service providers who may set cookies on our website to help us deliver better services:

• Analytics Providers: Services like Google Analytics help us understand website traffic and user behavior patterns
• Security Services: Third-party security tools help protect our website from threats and malicious activities
• Customer Support: Live chat and support tools that enhance our customer service capabilities
• Content Delivery: Services that help deliver our content quickly and reliably to users worldwide
• Payment Processing: Secure payment gateways that handle transaction processing
• Marketing Platforms: Tools that help us manage and optimize our marketing campaigns
• Social Media Widgets: Integration with social platforms for sharing and engagement features

These third-party cookies are governed by the respective privacy policies of the service providers. We carefully select our partners and ensure they meet our standards for data protection and privacy.

Cookie Duration and Lifecycle

We use both session cookies and persistent cookies, each serving different purposes:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. They are used for essential functions like maintaining your login session and preserving form data during your visit.
• Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device for a set period or until you manually delete them. They remember your preferences and settings for future visits.

The duration of persistent cookies varies depending on their purpose:

• Short-term (1-30 days): Used for temporary preferences and recent activity tracking
• Medium-term (1-12 months): Used for user preferences, analytics, and performance optimization
• Long-term (1-2 years): Used for essential functionality and long-term user experience improvements

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options for managing cookies and controlling your privacy:

Browser-Based Cookie Controls

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:

• Block All Cookies: Prevent all cookies from being stored on your device
• Block Third-Party Cookies: Allow only cookies from the websites you visit directly
• Delete Existing Cookies: Remove cookies that have already been stored
• Receive Notifications: Get alerts when websites want to store cookies
• Set Exceptions: Allow or block cookies from specific websites

Our Cookie Preference Center

We provide tools to help you manage your cookie preferences directly on our website:

• Access our cookie preference center through the privacy settings in your account
• Choose which categories of cookies you want to allow or block
• Update your preferences at any time
• View detailed information about each type of cookie we use

Opt-Out Options

For specific types of cookies, you can opt out through various methods:

• Analytics: Opt out of Google Analytics tracking using their browser add-on
• Advertising: Use industry opt-out tools like the Digital Advertising Alliance's WebChoices
• Marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing communications and disable marketing cookies

Important Note: Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your user experience. Essential cookies cannot be disabled without significantly impacting core website functions.

Browser-Specific Cookie Management Instructions

Here are detailed instructions for managing cookies in popular web browsers:

Google Chrome

1. Click the three-dot menu → Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
2. Choose your preferred cookie settings
3. To view and delete specific cookies: Site Settings → View permissions and data stored across sites

Mozilla Firefox

1. Click the menu button → Settings → Privacy & Security
2. In the Cookies and Site Data section, choose your preferences
3. Click "Manage Data" to view and delete specific cookies

Safari (macOS)

1. Safari menu → Preferences → Privacy
2. Choose your cookie and website data preferences
3. Click "Manage Website Data" to view and remove specific cookies

Microsoft Edge

1. Click the three-dot menu → Settings → Cookies and site permissions
2. Click "Cookies and site data" to manage your preferences
3. Use "See all cookies and site data" to manage individual cookies

Mobile Browsers

Cookie management on mobile devices varies by browser and operating system. Generally, you can find cookie settings in the browser's privacy or security settings menu.

Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you have the right to disable cookies, doing so may impact your experience on our website:

• Essential Functions: You may not be able to log in, access your account, or use certain features
• Personalization: The website may not remember your preferences or provide customized content
• Performance: Some features may load more slowly or not work as intended
• Analytics: We may not be able to improve our services based on usage data
• Security: Some security features may not function properly

We recommend allowing essential cookies while customizing your preferences for other cookie categories based on your comfort level and privacy needs.

Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will:

• Post the updated Cookie Policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date
• Notify registered users of significant changes via email or in-app notifications
• Provide prominent notices on our website for material changes
• Obtain your consent where required by applicable law

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and similar technologies. Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us About Cookies

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, this Cookie Policy, or wish to exercise your rights regarding cookies, please contact us:

We are committed to addressing your cookie-related concerns promptly and transparently. We will acknowledge receipt of your inquiry within 48 hours and provide a comprehensive response within 5 business days.