Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work correctly, improve user experience, and provide information to website owners.

In addition to cookies, we may also use similar tracking technologies including:

• Web Beacons (Pixel Tags): Tiny invisible images embedded in web pages or emails that track whether a page has been viewed or an email has been opened.
• Local Storage: Browser-based storage that functions similarly to cookies but persists longer and holds more data.
• Session Storage: Temporary storage that is cleared when you close your browser tab.
• Fingerprinting: We do not use device fingerprinting or any covert tracking techniques.

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in to your account securely across pages
• Remember your preferences, language settings, and dashboard configurations
• Understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it
• Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Protect our website and users from fraud and security threats
• Deliver relevant content and personalised experiences
• Enable key website features such as shopping cart, checkout, and licence management

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorise our cookies into four types. Essential cookies are always active. All other categories require your explicit consent.

3.1 Essential Cookies Always Active

These cookies are strictly necessary for our website to function. They cannot be disabled without breaking core features. They do not store any personally identifiable information beyond what is required for the session.

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration
lakesoft_session	Maintains your login session and account authentication	Session (expires on browser close)
csrf_token	Protects against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks	Session
cookie_consent	Stores your cookie consent preferences	12 months
cart_token	Maintains your shopping cart contents during checkout	7 days

3.2 Functional Cookies Consent Required

These cookies enhance your experience by remembering your preferences and settings. Disabling them may reduce personalisation features.

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration
lakesoft_lang	Remembers your selected language or locale preference	12 months
lakesoft_theme	Stores your UI theme preference (light/dark mode)	12 months
lakesoft_currency	Remembers your preferred display currency (NGN or USD)	12 months
dashboard_layout	Saves your dashboard configuration and widget arrangement	6 months

3.3 Analytics Cookies Consent Required

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website. All data collected is aggregated and anonymised where possible. We use this information to improve our website and services.

Cookie / Provider	Purpose	Duration
_ga (Google Analytics)	Distinguishes unique users and tracks page views and sessions	2 years
_ga_* (Google Analytics 4)	Maintains session state for Google Analytics 4	2 years
_gid (Google Analytics)	Distinguishes users over a 24-hour period	24 hours
lakesoft_analytics	Tracks internal feature usage and performance metrics	26 months

3.4 Marketing Cookies Consent Required

These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertisements and track the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. They may be set by us or by trusted third-party advertising partners. We will only activate these cookies with your explicit consent.

Cookie / Provider	Purpose	Duration
_fbp (Meta / Facebook Pixel)	Tracks conversions from Facebook ads and builds ad audiences	3 months
_gcl_au (Google Ads)	Measures ad conversion effectiveness from Google campaigns	3 months
lakesoft_referral	Tracks referral source to attribute sign-ups to marketing channels	30 days

4. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our website are set by trusted third-party services we use to deliver our products. These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies which govern their use of data collected through their cookies:

Third Party	Purpose	Privacy Policy
Google Analytics	Website usage analytics and reporting	policies.google.com/privacy
Google Ads	Advertising conversion tracking	policies.google.com/privacy
Meta (Facebook Pixel)	Social media advertising and remarketing	facebook.com/policy.php
Flutterwave	Payment processing and fraud detection	flutterwave.com/privacy-policy
Google Workspace (Gmail)	Email delivery and transactional communications	policies.google.com/privacy

We do not control third-party cookies and are not responsible for their content or accuracy. Please review each third party's privacy policy for more information.

5. Your Consent and Choices

In accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA), GDPR, and other applicable regulations, we obtain your explicit consent before placing any non-essential cookies on your device.

When you first visit our website, a Cookie Preference Centre will appear, allowing you to:

• Accept All: Enable all cookie categories including analytics and marketing
• Reject Non-Essential: Only essential cookies will be set
• Customise: Choose which specific categories to enable or disable

Your consent preferences are stored in the cookie_consent cookie and respected for 12 months, after which we will ask for your consent again.

6. How to Manage Cookies

6.1 Via Our Cookie Preference Centre

You can update your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of our website. This opens our Cookie Preference Centre where you can enable or disable each category individually.

6.2 Via Your Browser Settings

You can also control cookies directly through your browser. Here are instructions for the most common browsers:

• Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
• Opera: Settings → Advanced → Privacy & Security → Cookies

Please note that disabling cookies through your browser may affect the functionality of our website. Essential cookies cannot be disabled via browser settings without breaking core features such as login and checkout.

6.3 Opt-Out of Third-Party Analytics and Advertising

• Google Analytics: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Google Ads: Visit Google Ad Settings
• Meta / Facebook: Adjust settings at Facebook Ad Preferences
• General opt-out: Visit Your Online Choices (EU) or AboutAds (US)

7. Legal Basis for Cookie Use

We rely on the following lawful bases for setting cookies on your device, in accordance with the NDPA 2023, GAID 2025, and GDPR:

Cookie Category	Legal Basis	Regulation
Essential Cookies	Legitimate interest / Contract performance — required to deliver the service you requested	NDPA Art. 25 / GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)(f)
Functional Cookies	Consent — activated only after your explicit opt-in	NDPA Art. 25 / GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)
Analytics Cookies	Consent — activated only after your explicit opt-in	NDPA Art. 25 / GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)
Marketing Cookies	Consent — activated only after your explicit opt-in	NDPA Art. 25 / GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)

8. Cookie Retention Periods

Cookies are retained for the durations specified in Section 3 above. In general:

• Session cookies are deleted automatically when you close your browser
• Persistent cookies remain on your device until they expire or you delete them
• All cookies are deleted immediately when you clear your browser's cookies and site data
• Marketing cookies are deleted within 24 hours of consent withdrawal
• We conduct an annual review of all cookies to ensure retention periods remain necessary and proportionate

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Display a notice on our website for 30 days following the change
• Send an email notification to registered users for significant changes
• Re-request your consent where the changes require it under NDPA or GDPR

10. Contact Us