3M UK
3M Cookie Notice
3M Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“3M,” “we,” “our” or “us”) respect your privacy and value the relationship that we have with you. This Cookie Notice (“Notice”) applies to this website (“Website”), our mobile applications (“Apps”), and other online services that link to this Notice.
Any Personal Data provided to or collected using Cookies on our Websites and Apps is controlled by 3M as the data controller. Our Privacy Policy provides more details on the use that we may make of such Personal Data, and your rights in this regard.
As privacy laws and regulations change, it may be necessary to revise this Notice. When we do so, we will update the ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this Notice. If you have any questions about this Notice or do not agree with it, please contact us at privacy_office(a)mmm.com.
1. What is a Cookie?
-
Cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, flash objects and other similar automated data collection tracking technologies (collectively “Cookies”) are small text files which may be placed on any internet enabled device – such as your computer, smartphone or tablet – when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the website from your device on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognizes that, Cookie.
Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your actions and preferences (such as login, language, font size and other display preferences) over a period so you don’t have to re-enter it whenever you come back to the website or browse from one page to another, and generally improving your user experience. They can also help to ensure that advertisements you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.
Depending on how long a Cookie remains on your device, we can describe Cookies as either Session Cookies or Persistent Cookies.
- Session Cookies. Session Cookies are automatically deleted once you close your browser. They may be used to manage registration/login and access to reserved features on a website.
- Persistent cookies. Persistent Cookies remain for a specific time period. They are stored on your browser for that time (e.g., minutes, days, or months) after you have logged out or closed your browser unless manually deleted by you before the expiration date. They may be used to remember if you have selected certain preferences on a website (e.g., language selection) when you open your browser and return to the website again.
2. How do we use Cookies?
-
We use both Session Cookies and Persistent Cookies for several different reasons. These can include:
- To make the Website and Apps easier to use, to provide you with a personalized online experience, and to better tailor our products and services to your interests and needs.
- To collect your Personal Data and preference which we then use to build a profile of target ‘audiences’ so that we can deliver advertising tailored to your interests and limit the number of times you see an advertisement. More generally, to provide you relevant ads and content within our Services and on third-party sites and apps, and to evaluate the success of such ads and content.
- To compile anonymous, aggregated statistics that allow us to understand how people use our Website and Apps, and to help us improve their structure and content. This also helps us to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
- To insert tracking pixels in emails and newsletters to improve our content and advertising, to track email response rates, identify when our emails are viewed, and track whether our emails are forwarded.
- To support website analytics and user tracking, including through technologies offered by the providers listed in cookie preferences settings on the website.
- To combine, aggregate, or anonymize Personal Data with data we may collect from or about you from other sources, such as public databases, providers of demographic information, joint marketing partners, social media platforms and other third parties.
- For our business purposes, including audits, monitoring and prevention of fraud, infringement and other potential misuse of our products and services, and for modifying our services.
3. What Cookies do we use?
-
We use both First-party Cookies (i.e., Cookies that are directly created by the website or domain you visit) and Third-party Cookies (i.e., Cookies that are created by domains that are not the website that you are visiting). We set both First and Third-Party Cookies by the JavaScript tags/pixels/beacons/etc.
The Cookies on our Websites and/or Apps can be categorized as follows:
- Essential (or strictly necessary) Cookies are required for the operation of the Website and Apps. They include, for example, Cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of the Website and/or Apps, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services.
- Analytical Cookies allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around the Website and Apps when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way the Website and Apps work, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
- Advertising Cookies are used by us and third parties who partner with us to execute advertising campaigns and allow us to deliver targeted advertising to you as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaigns on our Website and Apps.
- Personalization Cookies allow us to provide you with the most relevant web content based on your preferences or actions. These cookies allow our Website and Apps to remember the choices you make (such as your username, language, or the region you are in) to provide you with a more personalized online experience.
Details of the Cookies that may be used on our websites and/or Apps can be found by clicking on the Cookie Preferences link at the bottom of each page.
4. YOUR CHOICES/HOW YOU CAN CONTROL COOKIES
You have several options for controlling how Cookies are used on your device or browser.
For general information on Cookies and more detailed advice on how to disable and enable them please go to https://www.allaboutcookies.org.
-
Cookie consent
In certain countries, we will ask for your prior consent to the use of Cookies for the operation of the Website. If you access the Website from one of these countries, you will be presented with information regarding your options, including the option to accept or reject Cookies. You will be able to change these settings on subsequent visits.
Specifically, for Essential Cookies necessary for the delivery of a service that you requested, you are unable to reject these Cookies. However, for all other Cookies, you can reject these Cookies, but this may impact your personalization settings.
At any time when visiting the Website of one of these countries, clicking on the "Cookie Preferences" link at the bottom of each page allows you to access information on Cookies and change your settings.
-
Opt-Out from Cookies via a choice mechanism offered by 3M
In certain countries, we will provide you with the option to opt-out from Cookies. For example:
- if you access the US Website, you can opt-out of Cookies by clicking on the “Your privacy choices” link located at the bottom of the Website; or
- if you access the Website from the UK, EEA or other locations where required by law, you can opt-out of Cookies by clicking on the “Cookie Preferences” link located at the bottom of the Website.
-
Manage your choices via Browser Settings
Most browsers will allow you to alter the settings used for Cookies and to disable and enable them as you require.
You can reject all Cookies (except strictly necessary cookies) if you prefer not to receive them, and you can have your computer warn you whenever cookies are being used. You can delete the cookies that are already on your computer, and you can set your browser to prevent them from being placed. Disabling cookies may, however, prevent some web services (including on this Website) from working correctly. Please be aware that when you have set your computer to reject cookies, it can limit the functionality of the Website and it is possible that you will not have access to some of the features on the Website.
To disable Cookies, or to receive a warning whenever cookies are being used, you must adjust your browser settings. You can adjust your browser settings to delete certain cookies. Visit the "Help" section of your browser for how to manage your cookie settings.
-
Opting out of Third-Party Ad Networks
You can choose to opt out of many third-party ad networks. For example, you can visit the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) Consumer Choice Page to find information on how to opt out of interest-based advertising and make choices about how your information is used by DAA companies. You can also visit the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) Consumer Opt-Out Page to find information on how to opt out of interest-based advertising and make choices about how your information is used by NAI members.
Opting out of one or more companies listed on the DAA Consumer Choice Page or the NAI Consumer Opt-Out Page will prevent those companies from delivering interest-based content or ads to you. However, please note that this does not mean you will no longer receive any advertising through our website or other websites. You may still receive advertisements based on the specific website you are viewing (known as contextually based ads).
Please be aware that if your web browsers are set to reject cookies when you opt out on the DAA or NAI websites, your opt-out may not be effective. You can find additional information on the DAA’s website at www.aboutads.info or the NAI’s website at www.networkadvertising.org.
If you are located in Europe or the UK, the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (“EDAA”) offers a similar service called Your Online Choices at https://www.youronlinechoices.com.
-
This version of the Cookie Notice is effective as of 1st May 2024.
We may update this Cookie Notice periodically.
