Cookie usage policy

Welcome to the OVH Group websites.

Our usage policy for cookies details the ways in which companies under the OVH group use your browsing data and any other data associated with using and accessing websites and other media (advertising banners, emails, etc.) from the OVH Group, directly or through advertising content on other websites.

You will also find information on your rights, and how to exercise them.

This data is communicated in compliance with the regulations in effect, particularly the European directive concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of private lives in the electronic communications sector (2002/58/EC), which outlines that storage, collection and access to data on your device is permitted under the condition that you have received information on the purposes of this data being processed, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the GDPR), and subject to essential cookies that you have consented to.

1. The various cookies

Under the terms of this policy, the terms "cookies and other trackers" or "cookies" refer to all of the trackers left and read while users browse websites and other media from the OVHcloud group within the European Union, and member states of the European Economic Area (EEA). This includes HTTP cookies, flash cookies, tags (also known as invisible pixels and web bugs), scripts, and fingerprinting results. This policy applies, regardless of whether or not the data collected by the cookies is personal.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small piece of data that can be sent by websites via your browser. Cookies are stored on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.) when you visit certain websites. Cookies allow companies to store and gather data regarding website visitors' browsing habits and hardware, then recognise the visitor using the data gathered.

The data gathered by these cookies concerns the number of pages visited, the language chosen, the city where the IP connecting to the website is located, the frequency of visits, repeated visits, the length of the visit, the browser, the provider and the type of device used to access the website.

What is a web beacon?

Otherwise known as pixel tags, invisible pixels, clear GIFs or web bugs, a web beacon is a snippet of autonomous code, or an image present on certain webpages for the purposes of tracking and monitoring traffic.

What is fingerprinting?

Fingerprinting creates a unique ID for the device requesting a webpage, based on elements of its configuration, for tracking purposes.

2. The cookies used on OVH Group websites

Generally, there are two different reasons for using cookies.

(A) Certain cookies are necessary for the OVH Group websites to work properly, and for enabling you to access and log in to your account using essential features. Essential cookies are solely designed to allow for electronic communication.
These cookies are essential for the online communication service you are using to work properly. They will be used so that you can log in to your user session, and display the page requested in a suitable format for your screen. They also enable the website to work optimally, and provide a browsing experience that:

• Ensures quality and security for browsing the website, namely in the process of ordering a product or service, and measures the loading times for various page elements.
• Stores the data entered into form fields when the user loads a different page.
• Allows the user to stay on the same host server for an entire session duration.
• Redirects the user to the local website or language version that matches the country they seem to be visiting from.
• Manages traffic spikes.
• Takes into account the user's acceptance or refusal with regards to analysing the data collected on the website.

(B) Other cookies are also required for improving the browsing experience. Improvement cokkies enable websites to:

• Collect and analyse information on the behaviour of users visiting our websites, in order to improve the way they work (namely improving the performance and visibility of pages, for example).
• Deliver value-added services aimed to improve user experience, such as virtual assistant (chatbot) services, live chat, and the click-to-call button.
• Secure our websites by detecting unusual activity, for example.

(C) Other cookies are used to offer you OVH solutions related to your interests. Advertising and custom cookies are designed to offer you content and solutions that are adapted to fit your centres of interest on the OVHcloud Group websites, and improve the relevance of our announcements on partner websites. By disabling cookies, the content and solutions we offer will no longer be adapted to suit your preferences, and may be less relevant. In compliance with regulations, they are also used with your consent.
These cookies are not essential for the website to work properly, but are required for offering you solutions that are relevant to your interests. They are used to deliver you more adapted content by:

• Collecting visitor data regarding the use of the website visited.
• Tracking clicks that direct to the website concerned.
• Improving the relevance of digital campaigns.
• Identifying website visitors redirected via an advertising campaign displayed on a third-party website.

(D) Other cookies allow users to share OVHcloud content on social media platforms, and other third-party websites ( third-party cookies ). These cookies allow users to access and use software tools and platforms (such as social networks, video streaming solutions, etc.) offered by third parties, make the website more user-friendly, and help it get promoted via OVH website content being shared on third-party platforms.
In this case, data related to website visitors, their browsing and their actions associated with the content they are interacting with is accessible by these third-party platforms. OVHcloud Group websites insert different social modules and pixels that enable users to request content from the platforms that deliver it. In this case, the platforms delivering these modules are considered as data controllers under the GDPR when they determine the purposes and means of processing data in line with their confidentiality policy. For this reason, certain features on the website are dependent on services offered by these third parties, and leave cookies. The websites delivering these third-party cookies, app buttons and extensions may request for users to log in via the button, even when the user does not use it while they browse the website. In compliance with regulations, they are also used with your consent.
OVH strongly recommends reading the confidentiality policies for these third parties:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• YouTube