COOKIES POLICY FOR DEEP ACADEMY
Last Updated: August 2026
Effective Date: August 2026
Jurisdiction: United Kingdom (England & Wales)
1. Introduction
Welcome to Deep Academy (operated by DeepPaya Digital Services Limited). This Cookies Policy explains how we use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website, mobile app, or Learning Management System (LMS) at www.deepacademy.co.uk (the “Platform”).
We are committed to protecting your privacy and giving you genuine control over your data. We use cookies to make our Platform work, to personalise your learning experience, and to help us grow responsibly.
This policy forms part of our broader Privacy Policy. By continuing to use our Platform after you have been presented with our cookie banner, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with this policy, provided you have made your active choices.
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, remember your preferences, and provide analytics to the website owner.
We also use similar technologies, including:
- Web Beacons (Pixel Tags): Tiny graphic images used to track user engagement and email open rates.
- Local Storage: Used to save your preferences within your browser (e.g., course progress, video playback positions).
- Session Storage: Temporary data stored for the duration of your single browsing session.
3. Why Does Deep Academy Use Cookies?
We use cookies to:
- Essential Functionality: Enable you to log in securely, access your enrolled courses, and make payments via our secure payment gateway.
- Performance & Analytics: Understand how our students interact with the platform so we can improve course content, reduce load times, and fix bugs.
- Personalisation: Remember your language preferences, font sizes, and previous course progress so you don’t have to re-select them every time.
- Marketing & Retargeting: Show you relevant advertisements for our Health & Social Care, IT, Law, and other courses on third-party platforms (like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google) after you leave our site.
4. Categories of Cookies We Use
We use the following categories of cookies on Deep Academy:
A. Strictly Necessary Cookies (Essential)
These cookies are required for the Platform to function properly. They enable you to navigate the site, log into your student dashboard, access course videos, and use our secure checkout.
- Purpose: Security, authentication, and core LMS operations.
- Consent Required? No (exempt from consent under PECR).
- Storage Period: Session-based or up to 30 days.
B. Performance & Analytics Cookies (Non-Essential)
These help us understand how visitors interact with our Platform. We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Microsoft Clarity.
- Purpose: Track page views, bounce rates, course completion drop-off points, and geographical demographics.
- Data Collected: Anonymised IP address, device type, browser version, and click heatmaps.
- Consent Required? Yes (active opt-in required).
- Storage Period: Up to 26 months (GA4 default).
C. Functional / Preference Cookies (Non-Essential)
These allow the Platform to remember choices you make (e.g., whether you prefer light or dark mode, video autoplay settings, and your preferred currency for the MarketHub checkout).
- Purpose: Enhance user experience and customisation.
- Consent Required? Yes (active opt-in required).
- Storage Period: Up to 12 months.
D. Targeting / Marketing Cookies (Non-Essential)
These track your browsing habits across the web to deliver targeted advertising. We partner with Meta (Facebook) and LinkedIn for retargeting ads.
- Purpose: Show you ads for Deep Academy courses (e.g., “Get Certified in Digital Marketing”) on social media platforms after you have visited our site.
- Data Collected: Unique advertising IDs and browsing history (non-identifiable).
- Consent Required? Yes (strict active opt-in required).
- Storage Period: Up to 24 months (depending on the advertising platform).
5. Your Consent & Your Rights (UK GDPR)
We operate a “Strictly Necessary Only” default policy. This means we will never drop non-essential cookies until you have actively clicked “Accept All” or made a specific choice in our cookie banner.
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Withdraw Consent: You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” or “Manage Preferences” link in the footer of our website.
- Reject Non-Essential: You are free to decline performance, functional, and marketing cookies without losing access to your courses.
- Access Data: Request a copy of the data we hold about you via our Privacy Policy.
6. How to Manage Cookies
A. Our Cookie Banner
When you first visit Deep Academy, a cookie banner will appear. You can choose:
- “Accept All” – Grants permission for all categories.
- “Reject Non-Essential” – Only strictly necessary cookies will be deployed.
- “Manage Settings” – A granular menu where you can toggle specific categories (Analytics, Functional, Marketing) on or off.
B. Browser Settings
You can also control cookies via your browser settings (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox). Most browsers allow you to block all cookies or delete existing ones. However, please note that blocking all cookies may impair your ability to use certain features of Deep Academy (e.g., video streaming, progress tracking).
- Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
- Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
- Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
C. Third-Party Opt-Outs
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
To opt out of Meta/Facebook advertising, visit your Facebook Ad Preferences.
7. Third-Party Cookies & Service Providers
We use reputable third-party service providers who place their own cookies on our site. These include:
| Provider | Purpose | Data Location |
| Google Analytics 4 | Website analytics & usage tracking | USA (Standard Contractual Clauses in place) |
| Microsoft Clarity | Session recording & heatmaps | USA (Standard Contractual Clauses in place) |
| Stripe / Flutterwave | Payment processing & fraud prevention | Global (Essential) |
| Meta (Facebook) | Retargeting ads & social login | USA (Standard Contractual Clauses in place) |
| Retargeting ads & career page tracking | USA (Standard Contractual Clauses in place) | |
| YouTube | Embedded course video playback | Global (Essential) |
We have entered into Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with all third-party providers to ensure your data is protected in accordance with UK GDPR standards.
8. International Data Transfers
As Deep Academy operates in the UK but uses global service providers (e.g., Google, Stripe), some data collected via cookies may be transferred to the United States or other countries. We ensure these transfers are lawful by using UK-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and supplementary measures as required by the ICO.
9. How Long Do We Keep Cookies?
The retention period varies per cookie category:
- Strictly Necessary: Deleted when your browser session ends or within 30 days for login tokens.
- Analytics: Deleted or anonymised after 26 months.
- Functional & Marketing: Up to 24 months, after which they are refreshed only if you continue to interact with the site.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our courses in Health & Social Care, IT, Law, and Business are primarily designed for adult learners (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal data via cookies from children under 16 without parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us immediately.
11. Changes to This Cookies Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, UK legislation, or our business practices. The “Last Updated” date at the top will indicate the latest revision. We will notify you of significant changes via email or a prominent notice on our Platform.
12. Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookies Policy or your data privacy, please contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at:
DeepPaya Digital Services Limited
(Operating as Deep Academy)
Email: dpo@deepacademy.co.uk
Address: 46 Waincliffe Drive. Leeds. United Kingdom
Phone: 07577684171