Persistent and per-session cookies

As described in the Privacy notice, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada uses sessional and/or persistent cookies on some sections of the website.

Per-session (sessional) cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active session, in other words, while you are on the website. Per-session cookies do not permanently record data and are not stored on your computer's hard drive. Per-session cookies do not give the website access to anything else on your system, including any private information about you. Only the website that placed the cookie can retrieve it.

Persistent cookies which are set while you are visiting a website are stored on your hard drive for a length of time set by the website. If we did not use cookies, moving around on the website would be a much slower process.

You can set your browser to detect and reject cookies.

If you use Internet Explorer:

  • Choose Tools > Internet Options.
  • Select the Privacy tab.
  • Move the scroll bar to choose whether you want to accept cookies from all sites, refuse to accept any cookies or be prompted whenever a site wants to send you a cookie.

If you use Mozilla Firefox:

  • Choose Tools > Options.
  • In the Cookies section, click (or unclick) "Accept cookies from site."
  • In the Keep Until section, select "they expire," "I close Firefox," or "ask me every time."