Cookies & similar technologies

1. What we use

Essential (always on): Our site needs basic functionality to work (for example, navigation and security). These are not optional and are not covered by any consent choice.

Optional analytics: We install Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-SFESMZCD3G, one property) via the googletagmanager.com tag script with Consent Mode defaults set before it loads. In the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland, storage and consented measurement stay off until you allow them; everywhere else analytics runs by default and you can turn it off at any time in the cookie bar. We configure IP anonymization either way. Google Analytics is the only analytics product on this site, we run no other measurement, performance, or session-recording service. If you turn analytics off, or enable Global Privacy Control, analytics storage is denied and no consented page view is recorded.

Local storage: We store your cookie-bar answer (whether analytics and advertising are on) under the key novus-stream-cookie-consent in your browser so we do not ask on every visit. This value is not used to identify you personally.

Advertising refusal cookie (strictly necessary): When your answer turns advertising off, we also set a first-party cookie named novus-ads-refused with the value 1 for up to one year, so our server knows not to open an early connection to the ad network on the pages it sends you. It is removed when you turn advertising back on. It stores no identifier and nothing about your browsing.

Region cookie (strictly necessary): We set a first-party cookie named nss-ad-region holding a single value, strict or open, derived from the country your request comes from (an unknown country counts as strict). It exists only so we know which consent rules to apply to you. It stores no identifier, no precise location, and nothing about your browsing.

Advertising opt-out cookie (strictly necessary): A first-party cookie named nss_ads_optout with the value 1 records a decision not to request advertising. The advertising control on this page sets it, and other Novus sites set it at the novusstreamsolutions.com scope so one choice covers the ecosystem. While it is set, no Adsterra ad described below is requested on any page, whatever your cookie-bar answer. It only ever reduces processing and never enables anything, and it stores no identifier and nothing about your browsing.

Sign-in cookies (strictly necessary, only if you have an account): None of these exist until you sign in, and every page on this site works without them. better-auth.session_token is the cookie that keeps you signed in; it holds a random session identifier, never your email or password. On the live site it carries a __Secure- prefix, which is a browser instruction never to send it over plain HTTP. better-auth.session_data is a cache of your own session, kept for one minute, so most page views do not need a database read. If you sign in with Google, short-lived better-auth.state and better-auth.pkce_code_verifier cookies exist only for the seconds between leaving for Google and coming back, and protect that round trip from being forged. A password-reset link, when one is sent, is exchanged for an nss_reset_token cookie that lasts at most an hour and is sent only to the reset page, so the token never appears in a page address; setting the new password deletes it. All are first-party, HttpOnly so page scripts cannot read them, SameSite=Lax, and Secure in production. Signing out deletes them; deleting your account deletes them and the session records behind them.

Sign-in indicator (strictly necessary): Alongside those, we set a first-party cookie named nss-signed-in whose only value is 1. It exists so the header can say "Account" rather than "Sign in" without this site having to ask the server who you are on every page you open. It holds no identifier, no name, no address and no token, it is not used to identify you, and nothing on the server trusts it — editing it in your browser changes one word in the menu and grants no access to anything. It is removed on the first page you load after signing out.

Advertising (third parties): The site is ad-supported. Display, native and social-bar ads are served by Adsterra, and loaded by your browser only after your cookie-bar answer (or your region's default) allows advertising. Adsterra and its demand partners may set cookies or use device storage to show and measure ads. The legal pages (this one, privacy, terms, security and accessibility) show no ad slots, and the sign-in, sign-up, password and admin screens carry no advertising code at all.

2. The cookie bar

In the EU, EEA, United Kingdom, and Switzerland, analytics and advertising both stay off until you allow them, and a cookie bar at the bottom of the page asks for your answer on your first visit. If we cannot tell which country your request comes from, we treat it the same way. Everywhere else both are on by default and the bar does not open by itself. Global Privacy Control, if your browser sends it, turns both off in every country, whatever you have saved.

Wherever you are, you can open the bar at any time with Cookie settings in the footer of every page, or the button below. It offers Accept all, Decline (necessary cookies only) and Manage settings, where you can switch analytics and advertising on or off separately. Your answer is saved in this browser and the bar does not come back on its own.

3. Third parties

Google Analytics is provided by Google LLC. Advertising is served by Adsterra. How those services use data depends on their own policies. Linked ecosystem apps (for example Sonic Weaver and Testaroo) have their own notices when you leave this domain.

4. Your controls

You can change your mind at any time using the controls below, or use your browser settings to block or delete cookies and site data. Withdrawing analytics consent sets Consent Mode to denied, expires applicable Google Analytics cookies, and reloads once so the gate stays closed. Withdrawing advertising stops new ads at once and reloads the page if an ad had already loaded, so no ad script keeps running. Blocking all cookies may affect how some features work.

You can also limit advertising through your browser settings and industry opt-outs such as YourAdChoices or Your Online Choices.

5. Related policies

For how we handle personal information more broadly, see our Privacy Policy. For rules of use of this site, see the Terms of Service.