COOKIE POLICY
Last updated: 2026-06-09
1. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website stores on your device to remember information across page loads (such as your language preference) or across visits (such as a session token). Local storage and session storage are similar mechanisms used by modern browsers. This policy covers all three.
2. What we set
Fragment Zero uses the minimal set of cookies and storage entries required to operate the Site. We do not use behavioural tracking cookies of our own.
| Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
fz_lang |
First-party, functional | Remembers your selected interface language (one of 13 supported languages). | 1 year, or until cleared. |
fz_session |
First-party, strictly necessary | Used by the Witness Report and Dead Drop submission forms to prevent abuse and double submissions. Contains a random session ID only — no personal data. | Cleared at browser close. |
fz_cipher_handle |
First-party, functional (local storage) | If you have signed the Cipher Wall, your handle is remembered locally so you don't have to re-enter it on subsequent visits. | Permanent, until cleared by you. |
__cf_bm / cf_clearance |
Third-party, strictly necessary (Cloudflare) | If Cloudflare is in front of the Site, these cookies are used to identify malicious traffic and challenge bots. They contain no information about you. | 30 minutes — 1 hour. |
3. Cookies set by embedded YouTube videos
When you watch an embedded YouTube player on an episode page, YouTube (Google LLC) may set its own cookies, including VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC, and PREF. These are governed by Google's policies, not ours. To prevent them entirely, you can either avoid playing the embedded video or use a privacy-focused browser/extension that blocks third-party cookies. See Google's Cookie Policy for details.
4. Advertising cookies (Google AdSense)
Fragment Zero displays advertising via Google AdSense to fund the archive. Advertising involves additional cookies for ad delivery, frequency capping, fraud prevention, and — only with your consent — interest-based personalisation. How this works on this Site:
- Your choice controls everything. A consent banner appears on your first visit. Advertising identifiers are activated only if you choose Accept (implemented with Google Consent Mode v2). If you choose Decline, ad-related storage stays disabled and any ads served are non-personalized. You keep full access to all content either way.
- Cookies involved. With consent, Google and its certified ad partners may set cookies such as
_gcl_au,IDE/DSID(DoubleClick), and__gads/__gpi, used for ad delivery, measurement, and personalisation. These are third-party cookies governed by Google's Cookie Policy. - Changing your mind. You can withdraw or change consent at any time: clear this site's data in your browser (the banner re-appears on next visit), and/or opt out of personalised ads at Google Ad Settings, aboutads.info/choices, or youronlinechoices.eu.
See also section 3a of our Privacy Policy for the data-protection aspects of advertising.
5. How to control cookies
You can control cookies in several ways:
- Browser settings. All major browsers allow you to view, block, and delete cookies. Look for "Privacy" or "Site settings" in your browser's preferences.
- Per-site permissions. Modern browsers let you allow or block cookies for specific origins (e.g.
fragmentzero.net). - Privacy extensions. Tools like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, or Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection block third-party trackers automatically.
- Direct erasure. Visit our Site and clear site data via the lock-icon menu in your browser address bar.
Note: blocking strictly necessary cookies (e.g. fz_session) may break the Witness Report and Dead Drop forms.
6. Do Not Track
Fragment Zero honours the Do Not Track (DNT) browser signal where it is technically meaningful. We do not run our own behavioural tracking. The fz_lang functional cookie is set whether or not DNT is enabled, because the language preference is necessary for the Site to remember your choice.
7. Updates
We may update this Cookie Policy as the Site evolves. The "Last updated" date reflects the most recent change. For substantive changes, we will announce the update on the home page for at least 30 days.
8. Contact
Questions about cookies: privacy@fragmentzero.net.