Cookie Policy
Last updated: 16 August 2026
What this policy covers
This policy explains the cookies and similar technologies used on materialmatters.design, what each one does, and how you can control them. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains more broadly how we handle personal data.
Material Matters is owned and operated by Delizia Media Ltd, a UK-registered company (number 13394532), registered at 5 High Green, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5EG. Delizia Media Ltd is the data controller for personal data collected through this site. Where this policy says "we" or "our", it means Delizia Media Ltd.
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file stored on your device when you visit a website. Cookies let a site remember things between pages and visits — that you have already dismissed a banner, for instance. Some are set by us; others are set by the third-party services we use, such as Google Analytics and Mailchimp.
We also use related technologies such as local storage, which work similarly. Where this policy says "cookies", it covers those too.
Your choices
When you first visit the site you are asked to choose. Nothing other than strictly necessary cookies is set until you do. You can:
- Accept all — allow every category below
- Reject all — allow only strictly necessary cookies
- Manage preferences — turn individual categories on or off
You can change your mind at any time using the Cookie settings link in our footer. Turning a category off removes the cookies in it.
Rejecting non-essential cookies does not limit your access to any content on this site. Our podcast episodes play as normal. Embedded maps will show a placeholder with a button, so you can load a map individually if you prefer.
Categories we use
Strictly necessary — always on
Required for the site to work. These cannot be switched off, and we do not need your consent for them.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
mm_consent |
Material Matters | Remembers your cookie choices so we do not ask again | 12 months |
mm_nl_seen, mm_nl_subscribed |
Material Matters | Remembers that you have already seen or completed our newsletter sign-up, so we do not show it again. Stored in your browser only | Until cleared |
| Platform session cookies | Cargo (cargo.site) | Page delivery, load balancing and basic security for the site | Session |
Functional — off by default
Allows embedded content from third parties to load. With this off, you will see a placeholder in place of the embed and can choose to load it individually.
| Cookie / technology | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
NID |
Google Maps | Displays maps on our fair pages; used by Google to remember preferences and for security | 6 months |
CONSENT, SOCS |
Google Maps | Records your Google-level cookie choices | Up to 2 years |
Google Maps appears on our fair pages (/the-fair and /copenhagen-fair).
A note on our podcast player. We embed the Buzzsprout player on our episode pages, and it loads for everyone without needing your consent. We tested it directly, and the player sets no cookies and no browser storage of any kind — there is nothing stored on your device, so there is nothing to ask your permission for.
It does load fonts from Google and request audio from Buzzsprout's servers in the United States, which means your IP address is shared with both. Buzzsprout's parent company, Higher Pixels, relies on the UK Extension to the EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework for those transfers. The player only loads once you scroll it into view, and audio is only requested when you press play.
Analytics — off by default
Help us understand how the site is used, in aggregate, so we can improve it. We use this to see which articles and episodes people actually read and listen to. IP anonymisation is enabled. We do not use analytics data to advertise to you.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes one visitor from another | 2 years |
_ga_B0N4LW6N2E |
Google Analytics 4 | Maintains session state for our specific property | 2 years |
_gid |
Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes visitors within a 24-hour window | 24 hours |
If you consent to analytics, we also record the fact of your consent — the categories chosen, a random identifier and a timestamp — so we can demonstrate that consent was given. This record contains no name, email address or IP address.
Marketing — off by default
Links your newsletter sign-up to the pages you have visited, so the emails we send are more relevant.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_mcid |
Mailchimp | Identifies a visitor across visits for audience tracking | 10 years |
_mcem |
Mailchimp | Associates a visit with a subscriber email address after sign-up | 10 years |
mailchimp_landing_site |
Mailchimp | Records the page you arrived on before subscribing | 1 month |
Third parties and international transfers
Some of these providers are based outside the UK, and consenting to their cookies may involve transferring data internationally. Each operates under its own privacy policy, which we do not control:
Controlling cookies in your browser
You can also block or delete cookies through your browser settings, independently of the choices you make here. Doing so may affect how this and other websites work. Guidance is available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.
We honour the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal where your browser sends one.
Changes to this policy
We will update this page whenever we add or remove a service that sets cookies. The date at the top shows when it was last revised. If we add a new category of cookie, we will ask for your consent again.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or about how we use your data, can be sent via our contact page.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
David