Cookies
Cookie Notice
Last updated: May 9, 2026
This Cookie Notice explains how The Brief uses cookies and similar technologies on our website at https://thebrief.news. It supplements our Privacy Policy.
In short
- We do not use cookies for analytics, advertising, behavioural tracking, or profiling.
- Our analytics tool (PostHog) is configured to run without setting cookies of any kind.
- We set two small first-party cookies that are strictly necessary to remember your language and reading-level preferences.
- Our hosting and infrastructure providers may set technical cookies needed to deliver and secure the site.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on your device. It can be used to remember information about you between page loads or visits (functional cookies), to analyse how the site is used (analytics cookies), or to display targeted advertising (advertising cookies).
Cookies we set
The Brief sets only the following first-party, strictly-necessary cookies. They are required for core site functionality and are not used for tracking, analytics, or advertising.
| Name | Purpose | Type | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
brief_lang | Stores your selected interface and content language so we can serve content in the right language on return visits and on bare / requests. | Strictly necessary (functional) | 1 year |
brief_difficulty | Stores your selected reading-level preference (simple, standard, or detailed) so articles load at the right depth. | Strictly necessary (functional) | 1 year |
Both cookies are first-party (set by thebrief.news), use SameSite=Lax, and contain no personal information beyond your preference values.
Cookies we do not set
We do not use:
- Analytics cookies — our analytics provider, PostHog, is configured with in-memory persistence only. No
ph_*or related cookies are written. Page-view and event data are not linked to a persistent identifier across visits. - Advertising or marketing cookies.
- Social-media tracking pixels.
- Cross-site tracking or fingerprinting cookies.
Third parties and infrastructure
Our website is served through hosting and content-delivery infrastructure that may set short-lived technical cookies for purposes such as load balancing, security (e.g. preventing abuse), and ensuring deployments are routed correctly. These cookies are governed by the relevant providers and are required for the site to function reliably and securely. They do not track you across other websites and are not used for analytics or advertising.
If we add any third-party service in future that uses cookies for analytics or advertising, we will update this notice and seek any consent required by applicable law.
How to control cookies
Most browsers let you view, manage, block, or delete cookies. Because the two cookies we set are needed to remember your language and reading-level choices, blocking them will not prevent you from using the site, but your preferences will reset on every visit.
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies
You can also use browser features such as private/incognito browsing or Global Privacy Control (GPC), which we honour as described in our Privacy Policy.
Updates
We may update this Cookie Notice from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent change. Material changes will also be reflected in our Privacy Policy.
Contact
Questions about this Cookie Notice can be sent to privacy@thebrief.news.