Cookie Policy
Last updated: 19 August 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how the Society for Microbial Ecology and Disease (SOMED) uses cookies and similar technologies on somed.nu.
It should be read together with the SOMED Privacy Policy.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small data files that a website or a third-party service may place on or read from a user’s device when the user visits a website.
Cookies may be used to provide essential website functionality, remember preferences, maintain security, understand website usage or enable third-party services.
Similar technologies, including local storage, pixels, identifiers, tags and embedded third-party technologies, may perform comparable functions. References to “cookies” in this Policy include such technologies where appropriate.
2. Legal Basis for the Use of Cookies
Cookies and similar technologies that are strictly necessary to provide a service specifically requested by the user or to ensure essential website functionality may be used without prior consent where permitted by applicable law.
Cookies and trackers that are not strictly necessary are used only where an appropriate legal basis exists and, where required, after the visitor has provided valid consent.
Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. It may be withdrawn at any time.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
3. Consent Management
SOMED uses Complianz as its consent management solution.
Complianz is used to present the cookie consent banner, manage consent choices, control the activation of non-essential services and maintain the website’s cookie declaration based on detected technologies.
Visitors may:
- accept non-essential cookies and services;
- reject non-essential cookies and services;
- review individual categories and preferences;
- change or withdraw their choices at any time through the website’s Manage Consent controls.
Rejecting non-essential cookies should not prevent access to the core content and functionality of the website, although certain optional third-party features may remain unavailable.
4. Strictly Necessary and Functional Cookies
Strictly necessary and functional cookies support functions required for the website to operate securely and correctly.
They may be used for purposes such as:
- website security;
- session and technical functionality;
- network and infrastructure management;
- protection against abuse;
- remembering cookie and consent preferences;
- ensuring the basic operation of website features.
Because these technologies are necessary for essential website operation, they cannot normally be disabled through the website’s consent interface.
Users may configure their browser to block cookies, but blocking strictly necessary cookies may cause parts of the website to function incorrectly.
5. Preference Technologies
Preference technologies may be used to remember choices that improve the visitor’s experience or provide enhanced functionality.
Where such technologies are not strictly necessary and applicable law requires consent, they are used only according to the visitor’s consent preferences.
6. Google Analytics 4
With the visitor’s consent, this website uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to help SOMED understand how visitors interact with the website and to improve its structure, content and performance.
Google Analytics is implemented through the official Google Site Kit WordPress plugin.
Analytics may process information relating to website usage, including pages viewed, interactions with content, traffic and referral sources, session information, browser and device characteristics and approximate geographic information.
The use of Analytics storage and related non-essential technologies is managed according to the visitor’s consent choices.
Where consent is required, the relevant analytics cookies are not used until the visitor has provided the appropriate consent.
SOMED does not rely on continued browsing, inactivity or silence as consent.
7. Google Consent Mode
This website uses Google Consent Mode together with Google Analytics and the website’s consent management platform.
Consent Mode communicates the visitor’s consent choices to Google tags and adjusts their behaviour accordingly. For example, the analytics_storage consent state controls whether analytics-related storage may be used. Google documents that Consent Mode can also send consent-status and cookieless technical pings for measurement and modelling when storage consent is denied. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Consent Mode itself does not replace the website’s consent banner. The visitor’s choices are collected through Complianz and communicated to compatible services. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
8. Google Maps
The Contact page uses Google Maps to display geographic information associated with SOMED’s address.
Google Maps is treated as third-party content and is blocked until the visitor provides the relevant consent.
Before consent is given, a placeholder may be displayed instead of the external map.
If the visitor chooses to enable Google Maps, Google may process technical information such as IP address, browser or device information and interaction data and may use its own cookies or similar technologies in accordance with its own policies.
Visitors are not required to enable Google Maps in order to access the remainder of the website.
9. Social Media and Sharing Links
The website may provide buttons or links allowing visitors to share SOMED content through external platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter or Pinterest.
Where a button functions only as an external sharing link, SOMED does not necessarily place a social-media tracking cookie merely because the button is displayed.
Once a visitor follows or interacts with an external platform, that third party may process information in accordance with its own privacy and cookie policies.
If SOMED introduces embedded social-media feeds, pixels or other technologies that store or access information on the visitor’s device, those technologies will be subject to the applicable consent requirements.
10. Advertising Technologies
SOMED does not currently use the website for third-party behavioural advertising or advertising profiling.
If advertising technologies are introduced in the future, this Cookie Policy and the website’s consent configuration will be updated as necessary before such technologies are activated.
11. Cookie Categories
Depending on the technologies detected on the website, cookies and similar technologies may be classified into categories such as:
- Functional: technologies necessary for essential website operation and security;
- Preferences: technologies that remember non-essential choices or enhance functionality;
- Statistics: technologies used to understand website usage and performance, including Google Analytics where consent has been given;
- Marketing: technologies used for advertising or certain third-party services where applicable.
The categories actually available in the consent banner depend on the services detected and configured on the website.
12. Detailed Cookie Declaration
The following live declaration is generated by Complianz and is intended to reflect the cookies and similar technologies detected on the website.
It may include information such as the cookie name, provider, purpose, category and duration.
Because website plugins, services and third-party technologies may change over time, this declaration may be updated through periodic scanning and synchronization.
SOMED does not intentionally classify a non-essential cookie as strictly necessary in order to bypass consent requirements.
13. Managing and Withdrawing Consent
Visitors may accept, reject or manage non-essential technologies through the consent banner.
Rejecting non-essential cookies should be as straightforward as accepting them.
Visitors may also change or withdraw their choices at a later time using the consent controls below:
Complianz documents the
14. Browser Settings
Most browsers allow users to view, delete, restrict or block cookies.
Browser controls operate independently from SOMED’s website consent settings.
Blocking all cookies through the browser may affect essential website functionality.
Visitors should consult their browser’s settings or help documentation for further information.
15. Retention and Expiry
The duration of individual cookies depends on their purpose and configuration.
Session cookies generally expire when the relevant browsing session ends, while persistent cookies remain for a specified period unless deleted earlier by the user.
The specific lifetime of detected cookies is displayed in the live cookie declaration where available.
Consent choices are retained only for an appropriate period, after which the website may request that the visitor confirm or renew their preferences.
16. Personal Data and Cookies
Where information obtained through cookies or similar technologies constitutes personal data, it is processed in accordance with the SOMED Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.
17. Analytics Consent and Applicable Guidance
As a general principle, analytics and audience-measurement cookies may require consent unless a specific legal exemption applies and all relevant conditions for that exemption are satisfied.
The French data protection authority, CNIL, recognizes that certain limited audience-measurement technologies may be exempt from consent only under specific conditions. SOMED’s current GA4 setup is therefore managed through explicit consent rather than relying on a presumed exemption. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
18. Changes to This Cookie Policy
SOMED may update this Cookie Policy when technologies used by the website change or when legal, regulatory or technical requirements are updated.
The latest version will be published on this page and identified by the Last updated date.
19. Contact
For questions concerning cookies, privacy or consent preferences, contact:
Society for Microbial Ecology and Disease (SOMED)
38 cours Georges Clémenceau
33000 Bordeaux, France
Email: sandrine.claus@l-n-c.fr
Telephone: +33 5 57 83 15 03
