Cookies

This Cookie Policy explains how Medforum Pty Ltd (ABN 37 653 446 836) ("we", "us", "our") uses cookies and similar technologies on the Medical Forum website at mforum.com.au (the "Site").

It describes what these technologies are, which ones we use, why we use them, what information they collect, and the choices available to you. This policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy (/privacy-policy), which explains more fully how we handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

By continuing to use the Site, you acknowledge that we use cookies and similar technologies as described in this policy. Where a technology is not strictly necessary for the Site to function, you can control or disable it using the methods described in the "Your choices and how to control cookies" section.

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, to make them work more efficiently, and to provide information to the site's operators. Cookies set by the website you are visiting are called "first-party" cookies; cookies set by another organisation (for example, an analytics or marketing provider) are called "third-party" cookies.

We also use technologies that are similar to cookies, including:

• Local storage and session storage. Small amounts of data your browser stores on your device for our Site, used to remember preferences such as whether you have dismissed or collapsed an on-screen panel.
• Tracking pixels and tags. Small pieces of code (sometimes loaded as a tiny invisible image or script) that record actions such as viewing a page or an article. We and some of our service providers use these.
• Web beacons. Lightweight requests sent from your browser to record an event, such as an advertisement being shown. We use these in a deliberately anonymous form (see "Advertising").

In this policy, references to "cookies" generally include these similar technologies unless we say otherwise.

We group the technologies we use into the following categories:

• Strictly necessary. Required for the Site to operate and for features you have actively requested, such as logging in and keeping you logged in. These cannot be switched off through our Site, because the relevant features would not work without them.
• Functional. Remember choices you make and small interface preferences (for example, hiding a panel you have dismissed), and support features such as fonts, maps and video playback. They are not used to track you across other websites.
• Analytics. Help us understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it. The information is used in an aggregated and, in our advertising metrics, anonymous form.
• Marketing / engagement. Used, only for logged-in members, to recognise members, record their activity on the Site (such as the articles they read and the CPD activities they undertake), and tailor our communications and content to them.

The following sections describe the specific technologies in each category.

These cookies are essential for the Site to work and for you to use features you have asked for, such as logging in to your member account. Because they are strictly necessary, they are set whenever they are required and are not subject to consent.

• payload-token. A first-party authentication cookie set by our content platform (Payload) when you sign in. It keeps you logged in as you move between pages and protects access to member-only areas, such as gated magazines and CPD activities. It is an httpOnly cookie (it cannot be read by scripts in your browser), is sent only over secure (HTTPS) connections, and is restricted to our Site. It is removed when you log out or when it expires.

We also operate server-side protections, such as rate-limiting requests by network address to prevent abuse. These protections do not store cookies on your device.

These remember your preferences and support features of the Site. They are first-party and are not used to advertise to you or to track you across other websites.

• mf-profile-tasks-dismissed (browser local storage). Remembers which account "to-do" / onboarding items you have dismissed, so they do not reappear. Stored on your device until you clear it. Contains no personal information (only a list of item identifiers).
• mf-profile-tasks-collapsed (browser local storage). Remembers whether you have collapsed the account task panel. Stored on your device until you clear it. Contains no personal information.

In addition, some features rely on third parties that may set their own cookies on your device in order to function. We do not control these cookies, and you should review the relevant provider's own policy:

• Adobe Fonts (Typekit). We load typefaces from Adobe Fonts to display the Site correctly. Adobe may set cookies relating to font delivery and usage.
• Map providers. On our clinical directory, interactive maps load map tiles and fonts from third-party providers (including CARTO and OpenStreetMap / OpenMapTiles). These providers may set cookies. We also use Google Maps / Google Places for address search and location features, which is subject to Google's own terms and privacy policy.
• Video providers. Where we host video (for example, podcast or video content delivered via Bunny Stream), the video provider's player and content delivery network may set cookies needed to deliver and play the media.

We use Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google, to understand how visitors find and use the Site so that we can improve it. Google Analytics sets cookies in your browser (commonly named _ga, _ga_<id>, _gid and _gat) that help distinguish visitors and measure how the Site is used. These cookies typically last from a few minutes up to two years. The information is used in aggregate; we do not use it to identify you personally.

Google processes this information on our behalf and may transfer it to, and store it on, servers outside Australia. For more information about how Google uses data, see Google's privacy policy and its "How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services" page. You can opt out of Google Analytics across all websites by installing Google's official browser opt-out add-on, and you can block or delete analytics cookies using the browser controls described below.

We operate our own (first-party) advertising system to display advertisements on the Site. To measure how advertisements perform, we record when an advertisement is shown (an "impression") and when it is clicked.

This measurement is deliberately anonymous:

• We do not store any per-visitor identifier, cookie or raw device fingerprint for advertising. (An earlier anonymous-visitor identifier used for ad metrics has been removed.)
• We record only coarse, non-identifying information: whether the viewer was a logged-in member or an anonymous visitor, and a broad device category (for example, mobile or desktop).
• Impression counts are aggregated by day, campaign, creative and placement.

Because this advertising measurement does not store cookies on your device or identify you, it does not, by itself, allow us or advertisers to track you across the Site or across other websites.

For logged-in members only, we use Ortto, a customer engagement and marketing platform, to recognise members, understand how they engage with the Site, and tailor our communications (such as newsletters) and content to them. Ortto's web tracking (a script sometimes referred to as "ap3c") is not loaded for anonymous or logged-out visitors. If you are not signed in, it does not run.

When you are signed in, Ortto may set cookies or use similar storage on your device to recognise you across visits, and we send Ortto information so it can attribute activity to your member profile. The information we send to Ortto can include:

• Identity and contact details. Your email address, first and last name, phone number, postal address (street, city, state, postcode) and country.
• Professional details. Your professional title, main and sub-speciality, primary practice, AHPRA registration number, CPD/membership number and audience segment.
• Communication and consent preferences. Which newsletters and magazines (print and digital) you subscribe to, and your email/SMS opt-in status and the context in which it was given.
• Site activity. That you started a member session, the articles you view (article title, URL and topic), and your CPD activity (see the next section).

This information is used to manage our relationship with you as a member, to send you communications you have subscribed to, and to segment our audience for relevant content. Because Ortto receives professional registration data and CPD reflections, we treat this information with particular care; how we handle it is described further in our Privacy Policy. Ortto processes this information on our behalf and may store it outside Australia.

If you do not want this engagement tracking, you can log out (which stops the Ortto script from loading), adjust your communication preferences in your account, and manage cookies using your browser controls. You can also contact us to ask about your information.

When you complete a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity or submit a form on the Site (for example, a CPD reflection associated with an article), we store your responses in our system so that we can provide the activity, keep a record of your CPD, and (where relevant) report on it. This may include your email address, CPD number, the article or activity concerned, and your written reflections and evaluations.

For logged-in members, and as part of the member engagement described in the "Marketing and member engagement" section above, we also send a record of CPD activity to Ortto. For example, that you started or completed a CPD module, the CPD hours involved, and the structured responses you provided (such as your evaluation of the content and your reflections on changes to your practice). This is used to recognise your engagement and tailor our communications. This sending happens on our servers and does not, in itself, place additional cookies on your device.

• Likes. When you "like" a post, we record that against your member account in our database so the count is accurate and you are not counted twice. This requires you to be logged in. It does not use a separate cookie or browser storage, and we do not record likes for anonymous visitors.
• Gated magazines and downloads. Some content, such as magazine PDFs, is available only to logged-in members. When you open one, we check that you are signed in (using the strictly necessary authentication cookie) and then generate a short-lived, secure link (valid for about 60 seconds) so your browser can download the file. This does not place a tracking cookie on your device.

You have several ways to control the technologies described in this policy:

• Browser controls. Most browsers let you see what cookies are stored, delete them, and block some or all cookies. You can usually find these options in your browser's settings or preferences, under "Privacy" or "Cookies". You can also clear local storage. Please note that if you block strictly necessary cookies (such as the authentication cookie), you will not be able to log in or use member-only features.
• Logging out. Member engagement tracking via Ortto only runs when you are logged in. Logging out stops it from loading.
• Communication preferences. You can review and change the newsletters and communications you receive from your account preferences.
• Google Analytics opt-out. You can opt out of Google Analytics across all websites by installing Google's official browser opt-out add-on.
• Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control. Some browsers offer "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control signals. There is no consistent industry standard for how sites must respond to these signals; we describe our actual practices in this policy.

Blocking or deleting cookies may affect your experience of the Site and may stop some features from working.

The Site relies on the following third-party services, some of which may set their own cookies or process information outside Australia. Each operates under its own privacy and cookie policies, which we encourage you to review:

• Google (Analytics, Maps / Places). Analytics, maps and address search.
• Ortto. Member engagement and marketing (logged-in members only).
• Adobe Fonts (Typekit). Typefaces.
• Map and tile providers (CARTO, OpenStreetMap / OpenMapTiles). Interactive maps.
• Bunny Stream. Video hosting and delivery.

We also use service providers that operate on the server side and do not set cookies in your browser, including our hosting and database providers and our email-delivery provider. These are described in our Privacy Policy.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the technologies we use or to legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "last updated" date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, notify you. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or about how we handle your personal information, you can contact us:

• Medforum Pty Ltd (ABN 37 653 446 836)
• Email: info@mforum.com.au
• Via our contact page

For more detail about how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.