Cookie policy

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text records a website stores in your browser. Browser storage (localStorage) works similarly but is not sent to the server with every request. We use both. Some are set by us ("first party"), some by services we embed ("third party").

2. Strictly necessary (no consent needed)

These make the Service work and cannot be switched off:

• session cookie — keeps you signed in after you enter your login and password (expires after [30] days or on sign-out);
• soffa:name, soffa:hostkey:*, soffa:participant — your display name, your seat in a room and the host key, so a page reload does not kick you out (localStorage);
• soffa:locale, soffa:theme, soffa:subs:* — interface language, theme and your subtitle settings (localStorage);
• soffa:consent — your cookie choices, so we do not ask again (localStorage, [12] months);
• Cloudflare security cookies (for example __cf_bm) — bot protection and load balancing;
• Paddle checkout cookies — set only on the payment page to complete a purchase and prevent fraud.

3. Analytics (consent)

With your consent we use PostHog, hosted in the European Union, to understand how the Service is used: which pages are opened, whether rooms are created and videos started, how often synchronization needs correcting, and whether the Plus purchase flow works. PostHog sets cookies/localStorage keys prefixed ph_ (expire after [12] months). We do not record chat content and do not use session recording on room pages. Without consent, PostHog is not loaded at all.

4. Advertising (consent, free plan only)

On the free plan we show banners from Google AdSense outside the player. Google may set cookies (for example IDE, __gads, __gpi) to show and measure ads and, with your consent, to personalise them. Personalised ads are requested only for users aged 18 or over who have consented. Without consent, or for users aged 16–17, only non-personalised ads are requested, which still use cookies for frequency capping and fraud prevention. Plus subscribers see no ads and get no advertising cookies. Learn more and opt out at https://adssettings.google.com and https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

5. Embedded players

When a room plays a video through an embedded YouTube, Rutube or VK Video player, that platform may set its own cookies inside the player frame under its own policy. We load the YouTube player from the privacy-enhanced domain youtube-nocookie.com where the player API allows it. We cannot control these cookies; your choices in our cookie settings do not affect them.

6. Managing cookies

• our cookie banner lets you accept or refuse analytics and advertising separately; the "Cookie settings" link in the footer reopens it at any time;
• your browser lets you delete or block cookies; blocking strictly necessary ones will stop sign-in and rooms from working properly;
• Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals are treated as a refusal of analytics and advertising cookies.

7. Changes and contact

We update this list when we add or remove a service. The current version is at /legal/cookies. Questions: support@soffa.tv.