Cookies Policy

Last Updated: June 7, 2025

This Cookies Policy explains how Thundersnow Ltd (“Thundersnow Ltd,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies on the Bloc mobile application and related website (“Bloc”). We encourage you to read this policy in conjunction with our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and share your information.

1. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or other electronic device) when you visit a website or use an app. They are widely used to make websites and apps work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information.

Similar technologies include:

  • Web Beacons (or Pixel Tags): Tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, used to track the online movements of web users or to access cookies.
  • Local Storage: Data stored directly in your browser or device (e.g., HTML5 Local Storage).
  • Device Identifiers: Unique identifiers associated with your mobile device.

Throughout this policy, “cookies” refers to cookies and all similar technologies.

2. How Bloc Uses Cookies

We use cookies for various purposes, including:

  • Authentication: To recognize you when you log in, so we can show you relevant information and personalize your experience.
  • Security: To protect your account from unauthorized access and to detect malicious activity.
  • Preferences: To remember your settings and preferences (e.g., language, location, display settings).
  • Analytics and Performance: To understand how users interact with Bloc, identify errors, and improve our services (e.g., which features are most popular, how long users spend in the app).
  • Advertising and Marketing: To deliver relevant ads to you, both on and off Bloc, and to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns.
  • Features and Functionality: To enable core features of the app and website (e.g., remembering items in a cart, providing chat functions).

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorize the cookies used on Bloc as follows:

  • Strictly Necessary Cookies:

    • Purpose: These cookies are essential for the operation of Bloc and to enable you to use its core features. Without these cookies, services like logging into your account, making purchases, or navigating securely would not be possible.
    • Consent: These cookies do not require your prior consent because they are essential for the functionality of the service you have requested.
    • Examples: Session cookies for user authentication, security cookies, load-balancing cookies.

  • Analytics and Performance Cookies:

    • Purpose: These cookies help us understand how users interact with Bloc by collecting information about the number of visitors, which pages are visited, and how users navigate the app. This data is used to improve the performance and design of our services.
    • Consent: We require your consent to use these cookies.
    • Examples: Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, crash reporting tools.

  • Functionality Cookies:

    • Purpose: These cookies allow Bloc to remember choices you make (such as your username, language, or region) and provide enhanced, more personalized features. They can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts, and other customizable parts of web pages.
    • Consent: We require your consent to use these cookies.
    • Examples: Remembering your preferred settings, chatbot functionality.

  • Advertising and Targeting Cookies:

    • Purpose: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements more relevant to you and your interests, both on Bloc and on third-party websites or apps. They may also be used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They remember that you have visited a website or app and this information may be shared with other organizations, such as advertisers.
    • Consent: We require your consent to use these cookies.
    • Examples: Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, other advertising network cookies.

4. First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies

  • First-Party Cookies: These are cookies set by Bloc itself (i.e., by the domain getonbloc.com or directly within the Bloc app). They are generally used to provide essential functionalities or to remember your preferences for your next visit.
  • Third-Party Cookies: These are cookies set by a domain other than Bloc’s. This often happens when we integrate services from other companies (e.g., social media plugins, advertising networks, analytics providers). These third parties may collect information directly from your device and have their own privacy and cookie policies.

5. Your Choices and Managing Cookies

We are committed to providing you with control over your cookie preferences.

For Users in the UK, European Economic Area (EEA), and other regions requiring explicit consent (e.g., Brazil, South Africa):

  • Consent Mechanism: When you first access Bloc or periodically thereafter, we will present you with a cookie consent banner or a similar mechanism. This will allow you to:
    • Accept All Cookies: Consent to all types of cookies described in this policy.
    • Reject All Non-Essential Cookies: Opt out of all cookies except those strictly necessary for Bloc’s operation.
    • Customize Preferences: Selectively choose which categories of cookies (e.g., analytics, advertising) you wish to accept or reject.
  • Granular Control: You will be able to easily adjust your cookie preferences at any time through our Cookie Settings (typically accessible via a link in the app’s settings or website footer).
  • Withdrawal of Consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, as easily as you gave it. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

For Users in the USA (particularly California, Virginia, etc.) and other regions operating under an “Opt-Out” model:

  • Notice and Opt-Out: While not always requiring explicit “opt-in” consent for all cookies, Bloc will provide clear notice about its use of cookies and tracking technologies.

  • “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” Link: Where required by law (e.g., CCPA/CPRA in California), we provide a clear and conspicuous link on our website or within the app to allow you to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information for targeted advertising purposes, which may include data collected via cookies.

  • Browser Settings: Regardless of your location, you can typically manage cookies through your web browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

    • See what cookies you have and delete them on an individual basis.
    • Block third-party cookies.
    • Block cookies from particular sites.
    • Block all cookies from being set.
    • Delete all cookies when you close your browser.

    Please note that if you choose to disable or block all cookies, some parts of Bloc may not function properly or may not be accessible.

Device Settings for Mobile Apps:

For the Bloc mobile app, you may have additional controls through your device’s operating system settings (e.g., iOS “Limit Ad Tracking” or Android “Opt out of Ads Personalization”) to limit the collection of identifiers for targeted advertising.

6. List of Cookies Used

Here’s an illustrative list of the types of cookies and similar technologies we may use. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and may be updated periodically.

Cookie Category Cookie Name (Example) Provider Purpose Data Collected (Examples) Duration
Strictly Necessary bloc_session Bloc Maintains your login session, ensures secure navigation. User ID, Session ID Session
csrf_token Bloc Prevents cross-site request forgery attacks. N/A (security token) Session
Analytics/Performance _ga Google Analytics Collects anonymous data on how users interact with the app/website, such as pages visited and time spent, to help us improve performance. IP address (anonymized), device ID, pages visited, time on site, referral source. 2 years
_fbc Firebase Tracks app usage and performance for analytics. App usage data, device ID, crash reports. Persistent
Functionality bloc_lang Bloc Remembers your language preference. Language preference. 1 year
bloc_locale Bloc Stores your preferred locale settings. Geographic region. 1 year
Advertising/Targeting _fbp Facebook Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products, such as real-time bidding from third-party advertisers.9 Browser information, hashed user ID, IP address, device ID, app activity (e.g., app installs, purchases). 3 months
_gcl_au Google Ads Used by Google Ads to track conversions from ads. Interaction data (clicks on ads), conversion ID. 3 months
_tt_enable_cookie TikTok Used for TikTok advertising optimization. User behavior data, device identifiers. 1 year

Note: “Duration” refers to how long the cookie remains on your device. “Session” cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser or app. “Persistent” cookies remain until their expiration date or until manually deleted.

7. Changes to this Cookies Policy

We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on Bloc and updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about our use of cookies or this policy, please contact us at:

Thundersnow Ltd
17 Broughton Road
Fulham
London
SW6 2LE

Email: [email protected]