Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies and Local Storage?

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

Local storage is a similar technology that allows websites to store data in your browser. The difference is that local storage is not automatically sent to the server, while cookies are attached to each request your browser makes to us.

The International Esports Federation (IESF) uses both cookies and local storage to provide a secure, functional experience on our website. For signing you in we currently use both at once, and we would rather say so plainly than imply it is only one: the cookie copies are marked httpOnly, which means JavaScript on the page cannot read them and a cross-site scripting attack cannot steal your session with them. They are sent to our own servers and to nobody else.

How We Use These Technologies

Authentication (First-Party Cookies and Local Storage)

Required

When you log in to your IESF account, we store authentication tokens in two places: as first-party cookies set by us on the iesf.org domain, and in your browser's local storage. These tokens allow you to remain signed in and access protected areas of the website such as your profile, member dashboard, and administrative features. They are also what keeps you signed in when you move between iesf.org and academy.iesf.org.

The cookies are httpOnly and secure: your browser will only send them over an encrypted connection, and scripts running on the page cannot read them. We are moving authentication towards these cookies and away from local storage, because they are the safer of the two; until that is finished, both are in use.

Data stored: Access token (JWT), refresh token — each held both as a first-party cookie on .iesf.org and in local storage

Duration: Access token expires after 15 minutes (automatically refreshed); refresh token expires after 7 days

Shared with: nobody. These are read only by IESF's own servers.

Third-Party Authentication Cookies

If you choose to sign in using a third-party provider (Google, Discord, or Twitch), those providers may set their own cookies during the authentication process. These cookies are governed by the respective provider's cookie and privacy policies.

Providers: Google, Discord, Twitch

Duration: Varies by provider

Functional Cookies

We may use cookies or local storage to remember your display preferences and improve your browsing experience. These are used only to enhance functionality and do not track your activity across other websites.

Examples: Display preferences, UI settings

Duration: Up to 1 year

Storage Details

The following table summarises the data stored in your browser by our website:

Purpose	Technology	Duration
Access token (authentication)	Cookie (first-party, httpOnly, .iesf.org)	15 minutes (auto-refreshed)
Refresh token (session persistence)	Cookie (first-party, httpOnly, .iesf.org)	7 days
Access token (authentication)	Local Storage	15 minutes (auto-refreshed)
Refresh token (session persistence)	Local Storage	7 days
Cookie consent choice	Local Storage	Persistent until cleared
Page-reload recovery marker (technical)	Local Storage	Momentary
OAuth sign-in flow	Cookie (third-party)	Session / varies by provider
Display preferences	Local Storage	Persistent until cleared

Site Analytics

With your consent (cookie banner), we collect aggregate site analytics — page path, page title, referrer, user agent, hashed IP, country, device type, and time-on-page — to understand how the site is used. We do not collect names, emails, or precise locations. Raw data is dropped after 90 days; aggregates are retained indefinitely. You can opt out at any time by rejecting cookies.

We run our own first-party tracker on our own servers. We do not use:

Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any other third-party analytics
Marketing or advertising cookies
Social media tracking pixels
Cross-site tracking technologies

Third-Party Services

Our website integrates with third-party services that may use their own cookies or storage mechanisms:

OAuth Providers

Google, Discord, and Twitch may set cookies when you use them to sign in to your IESF account

Embedded Content

News articles and event pages may embed external content (e.g., videos) that could set their own cookies

These third parties may collect data about your online activities according to their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review their respective policies for more information.

Managing Your Data

You have full control over the data stored in your browser:

Clearing Cookies and Local Storage

You can clear both our cookies and your locally stored data at any time through your browser settings. Logging out of your IESF account removes your authentication tokens from both places. Because the authentication cookies are httpOnly, you cannot delete them with a browser extension or a script — logging out, or clearing site data as below, is the way. To clear everything:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Clear Browsing Data → Site Data
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Clear Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Edge: Settings → Privacy → Choose What to Clear

Blocking Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to block cookies through their settings. You can also use browser extensions for more granular control. Note that blocking third-party cookies may affect your ability to sign in with Google, Discord, or Twitch.

Important: Clearing local storage or blocking cookies will sign you out of your IESF account and you will need to log in again. Your account data on our servers is not affected.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date.

For more information about how we handle your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Questions About Cookies?

If you have any questions about our use of cookies and local storage, please contact us.

COOKIE POLICY