Our Cookie Practices Explained

1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how Rogue Digital Ltd (trading as UpGrades), registered at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom (VAT: GB458050200), uses cookies and similar technologies on our marketing website (upgrades.app) and main application (app.upgrades.app).

We believe in transparency and privacy. This policy explains what cookies are, which ones we use (spoiler: very few), and how you can control them.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

Cookies can be:

• Session cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser
• Persistent cookies: Cookies that remain on your device until they expire or you delete them
• First-party cookies: Set by the website you're visiting
• Third-party cookies: Set by external services used on the website

3. Cookies We Use

At UpGrades, we take a privacy-first approach. We use cookies only where strictly necessary and do not use tracking or advertising cookies.

Marketing Website (www.upgrades.app)

Our marketing website uses Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how visitors use our site. GA4 may set cookies on your device, but only after you give consent via our cookie banner. If you decline or do not respond, GA4 operates in cookieless mode and no tracking cookies are set.

Main Application (app.upgrades.app)

Our main application uses only essential cookies required for the service to function. These include:

• Authentication cookies: To keep you logged in securely
• Session cookies: To maintain your session state as you navigate the application
• Security cookies: To protect against cross-site request forgery and other security threats

These cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of the Service and cannot be disabled if you wish to use the application.

4. Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are necessary for the basic functionality of our application. Without these cookies, services you have asked for (such as logging in to your account) cannot be provided.

Examples of essential cookies we use in the main application:

• Session ID: Maintains your login session across page loads
• Authentication token: Verifies your identity securely
• CSRF token: Protects against cross-site request forgery attacks

These cookies typically expire when you close your browser or log out, though some may persist for a limited time to keep you logged in between sessions if you choose the "remember me" option.

5. Analytics

Plausible Analytics (cookie-free)

We use Plausible Analytics on our marketing website. Plausible is a privacy-focused analytics service that:

• Does not use cookies
• Does not collect personal data
• Does not track users across websites
• Is fully compliant with GDPR, PECR, and CCPA
• Is hosted in the EU

Plausible collects only aggregated, anonymous information such as page views, referral sources, browser type, and country. It cannot be used to identify you personally. Learn more at plausible.io/privacy.

Google Analytics 4 (consent-based)

We also use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with Consent Mode v2. This means:

• No cookies are set until you give consent via our cookie banner
• If you decline, GA4 operates in cookieless mode using modelled data only
• If you accept, GA4 may set cookies including _ga and _ga_* to distinguish unique visitors and sessions
• These cookies expire after 2 years (_ga) or 24 hours (_ga_*)

GA4 helps us understand site performance and prepare for future advertising campaigns. You can read more about Google's privacy practices at policies.google.com/privacy.

6. Third-Party Cookies

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking cookies. We do not allow third-party advertisers to place cookies on your device through our website or application.

The third-party services we use are:

• Plausible Analytics: Cookie-free, privacy-first analytics (marketing site only)
• Google Analytics 4: Consent-based analytics — cookies set only after you accept via our cookie banner (marketing site only)
• Trustpilot: Review widgets that may load third-party resources (marketing site only)
• Authentication providers: If you sign in with Google or another provider, they may set their own cookies according to their privacy policies

When you use third-party authentication, you should review the privacy policies of those providers.

7. Managing Cookies

When you first visit our marketing website, a cookie consent banner will appear. You can choose to accept or decline analytics cookies. Your preference is saved and the banner will not appear again unless you clear your browser data.

To change your preference, clear your browser's local storage for upgrades.app and the banner will reappear on your next visit.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings:

• Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
• Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data

Please note that disabling essential cookies will prevent you from using the main application, as these cookies are required for authentication and security.

You can also use browser plugins to manage cookies automatically. Most browsers allow you to:

• Block all cookies
• Block third-party cookies only
• Delete cookies when you close your browser
• View and delete individual cookies

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Post the revised policy on our website
• Notify you if the changes are material (e.g., if we start using new types of cookies)

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@upgrades.app
• Address: Rogue Digital Ltd (trading as UpGrades), 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
• VAT Number: GB458050200

For general enquiries, you can also reach us at hello@upgrades.app.