Cookie & Local Storage Architecture

§1 Minimal Footprint

Cookie & Storage Overview

Thistle Play Hub adheres to an austere engineering philosophy regarding client-side data persistence. We reject intrusive third-party cross-site trackers, advertising beacons, and behavioral profiling cookies.

We distinguish between two technical persistence mechanisms: standard HTTP session cookies transmitted with network requests, and HTML5 Web Storage (Local Storage) retained exclusively within your client browser.

§2 Essential Infrastructure

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are technically vital for platform security, member authentication, and navigation. Because the website cannot function securely without them, they are deployed automatically without requiring prior consent under PECR and UK GDPR.

Token Name	Category	Provider	Lifespan	Operational Purpose
`PHPSESSID`	Strictly Necessary	First-Party (thistleplayhub.com)	Session (Expires on browser closure)	Maintains encrypted session state, authorization status, and Credit Ledger synchronization across pages.

§3 Client-Side Storage

HTML5 Local Storage Tokens

To enhance your browsing experience while safeguarding your privacy, we utilize browser-isolated HTML5 Local Storage tokens. These tokens reside entirely on your device and are never automatically transmitted across the wire to our web servers.

Storage Key	Category	Format	Retention	Operational Purpose
`tph:claims`	Functional / Curatorial	JSON Array of Strings	Persistent	Preserves your marked Highland Crests for rapid access on the cartographic map and catalog.
`tph:recent`	Functional / Curatorial	JSON Array of Strings	Persistent	Remembers your 6 most recently engaged specimen folios for quick re-engagement.
`tph:scene`	User Interface	String (`dawn\|parchment\|twilight`)	Persistent	Stores your selected atmospheric lighting palette to avoid jarring flashes between page transitions.
`tph:analytics-consent`	Consent Preference	String (`denied\|granted`)	Persistent	Records your statutory consent election under Google Consent Mode v2 architecture.

§4 Privacy By Default

Google Consent Mode v2 Architecture

In strict conformance with modern privacy frameworks, our platform executes an aggressive "Default Denied" configuration. Prior to loading any diagnostic telemetry tags, the following baseline parameters are hardcoded:

// Google Consent Mode v2 Default Baseline (Loaded in <head>)
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}

gtag('consent', 'default', {
    'analytics_storage': 'denied',
    'ad_storage': 'denied',
    'ad_user_data': 'denied',
    'ad_personalization': 'denied',
    'wait_for_update': 500
});

// Hard disable telemetry tracking ID until granted
window['ga-disable-G-TPHUKDEMO01'] = true;

Unless you explicitly click "Allow Analytics" in our floating banner or preference manager, no analytics tokens are written to your computer, and diagnostic pings are strictly discarded.

§5 Sovereign Controls

Browser Controls & Preference Center

You can adjust your consent choices at any time through our interactive Consent Preference Manager. Additionally, all contemporary web browsers allow you to inspect, block, or delete cookies and Local Storage entries via developer tools or settings menus.

§6 Revisions

Policy Updates & Inquiries

We may update this policy periodically to reflect evolving UK regulatory requirements or technical changes. For questions concerning our cookie architecture, contact our Data Protection Officer at privacy@thistleplayhub.com.

Cookie & Local Storage Policy