Cookie Policy

Last Updated: June 19, 2026

This Cookie Policy explains how Cosmocodex Ltd, trading as The VPN Matrix ("we," "us," or "our"), uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website thevpnmatrix.com (the "Site"). This policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy, which provides comprehensive information about how we process personal data.

This Cookie Policy complies with the EU ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC as amended), UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), UK GDPR, GDPR, and other applicable cookie laws. Essential storage and anonymous aggregate metrics run as described below. Optional analytics, functional, and affiliate tracking technologies that use cookies or similar storage are controlled through our cookie consent banner, and you can change your preferences or browser settings at any time.

Legal Compliance: This policy explains which technologies are essential, which anonymous aggregate metrics run without cookies, and which optional tracking technologies require a clear opt-in under UK PECR, GDPR Article 7, and similar laws.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners.

Cookies can be "session" cookies (temporary, deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent" cookies (remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them).

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Always Active - No Consent Required)

These cookies are strictly necessary for the Site to function properly. They enable basic features like page navigation, security, and access to secure areas. Under EU ePrivacy Directive, these cookies do not require consent because they are essential for the service you requested.

Examples of Essential Cookies:

• Session cookies: Maintain your session while browsing (deleted when browser closes)
• Security cookies: Protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and security threats
• Cookie consent storage: Remember your cookie preferences to avoid showing the banner repeatedly
• Load balancing cookies: Distribute traffic across servers for performance
• Authentication cookies: Maintain login state for subscription features (if applicable)

Retention: Session duration only (typically deleted when you close your browser) or up to 1 year for preference storage.

Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) - essential for website operation. No consent required under ePrivacy Directive Article 5(3).

Anonymous Aggregate Analytics (No Cookies Used)

We use Vercel Web Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights to understand page views, referrers, and website performance. This aggregate measurement layer does not use analytics cookies, does not build visitor profiles, and is not used for cross-site tracking.

What We Track (Anonymous Aggregate Data Only):

• Page views and route-level navigation patterns
• Traffic sources, referrers, and standard UTM campaign parameters after all other query strings and fragments are stripped from analytics URLs
• Device and browser type in aggregate reports
• Country or region-level location and route-level Core Web Vitals performance metrics

Privacy Features of This Analytics Layer:

• No analytics cookies: Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights run without analytics cookies
• No direct identifiers in our reports: We do not receive names, email addresses, account IDs, or full IP addresses in analytics reports
• No visitor profiles: Metrics are used to understand aggregate site performance, not individual journeys
• URL minimisation: We keep only standard UTM campaign parameters and strip all other query strings and fragments before analytics events are sent
• No advertising use: We do not use this layer for behavioural advertising or cross-site tracking

Retention: Anonymous aggregate analytics and performance data is retained in Vercel according to our Vercel project settings. We do not store visitor-level analytics profiles in our own systems.

Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR/UK GDPR) in understanding aggregate website usage and performance, with transparency, minimisation, and no analytics cookies.

Optional Event Analytics (Consent Required)

If you enable analytics in the cookie banner, we use PostHog to measure product interactions such as quiz usage, comparison interactions, outbound VPN provider clicks, and affiliate-link events. This helps us understand which content and affiliate links perform without selling your data or using cross-site advertising.

What Optional Event Analytics May Use:

• Browser storage such as localStorage and, depending on provider configuration, cookies or similar identifiers
• Anonymous device or session identifiers for feature and funnel measurement
• Event names such as affiliate link clicked, quiz completed, or comparison viewed
• Page path, referrer, browser, device, and approximate geography used for aggregate reporting

Retention: Browser-side consent and analytics storage remains until you change preferences or clear browser data. Event retention follows our analytics provider/project retention settings.

Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR/UK GDPR) and PECR consent for any non-essential cookies or similar storage/access. You can decline or withdraw this consent at any time.

Functional Cookies (Optional - Based on Your Usage)

These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalization to improve your experience. They may be set automatically when you use certain features.

Types of Functional Cookies:

• Theme preferences: Remember your dark/light mode selection
• Language preferences: Remember your preferred language
• Accessibility settings: Remember accessibility options you've configured
• Comparison tool state: Remember selections in VPN comparison tools (temporary)
• Form data (localStorage): Temporarily store form input to prevent data loss

Retention: Typically 12 months, or until manually cleared. Some functional cookies may persist until you clear browser data.

Legal Basis: Consent for optional non-essential functional storage where required by PECR or similar laws; legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR/UK GDPR) only for strictly necessary preference or security storage.

Affiliate Tracking Cookies (Set by Third Parties)

When you click VPN provider affiliate links on our Site, affiliate networks operated by VPN providers may set tracking cookies on their own sites to attribute purchases. We may also record the outbound affiliate-link click in our optional event analytics if you have enabled analytics consent. This enables us to understand which links perform and to earn commissions when you purchase VPN services through our links.

How Affiliate Cookies Work:

• When you click a VPN provider link, the affiliate network sets a cookie with a unique referral ID
• If you purchase within the attribution window (typically 30-90 days), the purchase is attributed to our referral
• We receive confirmation of the attribution but not your personal information
• Each VPN provider/affiliate network has different cookie names and retention periods

Common Affiliate Cookie Characteristics:

• Cookie names typically include: referral IDs, campaign IDs, or provider-specific identifiers
• Retention: Typically 30-90 days (varies by affiliate network)
• Purpose: Attribution only - to determine if a purchase resulted from our referral
• Scope: First-party cookies set by the VPN provider's domain (not cross-site tracking)

Important: VPN provider affiliate cookies are set by VPN providers' affiliate networks when you visit their websites. They are not set by The VPN Matrix directly. Each VPN provider has its own privacy policy governing how these cookies are used. You can block these cookies using your browser settings or privacy extensions.

Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR/UK GDPR) in funding our independent testing through affiliate relationships. Consent is used for our optional on-site event analytics and may be required by VPN providers or affiliate networks for their own cookies.

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies or similar technologies on our Site are provided by third-party services we use:

•
Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights: Anonymous aggregate page-view and performance metrics without analytics cookies
•
PostHog Optional Event Analytics: Only runs when you enable analytics consent and may use browser storage for anonymous event measurement
•
VPN Affiliate Networks: Track referrals when you click VPN provider links (these cookies are set by VPN providers' domains, not by us)
•
CDN Providers: Content delivery networks that improve site performance (may set technical cookies for load balancing)

Important: Third-Party Cookies

Third-party services may process data as our processors or as independent controllers depending on the service and context. VPN providers and affiliate networks are responsible for their own cookies after you click through to their sites. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies:

• Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights: This aggregate measurement layer does not set analytics cookies and is used for anonymous page-view and performance reporting.
• PostHog Optional Event Analytics: Runs only after analytics consent and may use browser storage for anonymous feature, quiz, and affiliate-link event reporting.
• VPN Provider Affiliate Networks: Each VPN provider has its own privacy policy. Check the privacy policy of any VPN provider you click through to.
• CDN/Infrastructure Providers: May set technical cookies for load balancing and performance. These typically have minimal data processing.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Cookie Banner

When you first visit our Site, you'll see a cookie banner where you can accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in the footer.

Note: Anonymous aggregate Vercel metrics run without analytics cookies. Optional PostHog event analytics and any non-essential browser storage stay off unless you enable the relevant cookie preference.

Browser Settings

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Here's how:

Important Note

Blocking or deleting essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Site. Some features may not work properly without cookies enabled.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that sends a signal requesting websites not to track you. However, there is currently no industry standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, as the specification was never finalized.

Our Position on DNT:

We respect your privacy preferences through our cookie consent banner
Anonymous aggregate Vercel metrics run without analytics cookies and operate regardless of cookie preferences
Optional PostHog event analytics follows your analytics consent preference and stays off unless enabled
Our cookie banner provides granular control over cookie categories
DNT signals cannot override essential cookies required for website functionality
We follow privacy-by-default principles: we don't set optional cookies or similar storage unless you consent

For the most effective privacy protection, we recommend using our cookie consent banner to manage preferences rather than relying solely on DNT signals.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Displaying a notice on our homepage
• Sending an email to newsletter subscribers (for significant changes)

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies.

Disputes and Contact

If you have concerns about our use of cookies, wish to withdraw consent, or have a dispute regarding this Cookie Policy, we encourage you to contact us directly:

Direct Communication:

First, contact us on @thevpnmatrix to attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We commit to responding within 14 business days.

Contact Method:

Social Media: @thevpnmatrix

Questions About Cookies?

If you have questions about our use of cookies, wish to withdraw consent, or have concerns about this Cookie Policy, please contact us:

Company: Cosmocodex Ltd (trading as The VPN Matrix)

Substack: thevpnmatrix.substack.com

Instagram: @thevpnmatrix

Your Rights:

• Anonymous aggregate Vercel metrics do not use analytics cookies
• You can decline or withdraw consent for optional PostHog event analytics through our cookie banner
• You can manage cookie preferences for other non-essential cookies through our cookie banner
• You can delete cookies using your browser settings
• You can block cookies entirely (though this may affect website functionality for cookies that require consent)

Related Policies:

This Cookie Policy complies with the EU ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), UK PECR, GDPR Article 7, and other applicable cookie and privacy laws.