Last updated: 13 November 2026
This Cookie Policy explains which cookies and similar technologies thedark.ai (the “site”) uses, why it uses them and how you can control them. It applies to visitors from the European Union, the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, and follows the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive and the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG).
The site is run by Alexios Dionysios Diakogiannis (“I”, “me”). For how I handle personal data in general, see the Privacy Policy.
1. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website stores in your browser. They let the site remember things, such as your consent choice, or let a service recognise your browser on a later visit. Similar technologies, such as local storage in your browser, work in a comparable way. In this policy, “cookies” covers all of them.
Some cookies are set by the site itself (first party cookies). Others are set by external services that the site uses, such as Google or YouTube (third party cookies).
2. Your consent
When you first visit the site, a cookie banner asks for your choice. Only strictly necessary cookies are set without your consent, because the site cannot work securely without them (§ 25(2) TDDDG). All other cookies are set only if you accept them (§ 25(1) TDDDG and Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).
In the banner you can:
- Accept All to allow every category,
- Reject All to allow only strictly necessary cookies, or
- Preferences to choose category by category, then Save And Accept.
Rejecting cookies does not stop you from reading the site. The only difference is that embedded YouTube videos show a placeholder instead of the player.
3. Categories of cookies
3.1 Necessary
These cookies are needed for the site to work and to keep it secure. They cannot be switched off in the banner.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| wpl_user_preference | thedark.ai (WP Legal Pages) | Stores your cookie choices for each category | 1 year |
| wpl_viewed_cookie | thedark.ai (WP Legal Pages) | Remembers that you have seen the cookie banner | 1 year |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Shows that your browser passed a security check, so you are not challenged again. Protects the site against bots and attacks. | Up to 1 year |
| comment_author_[hash] comment_author_email_[hash] comment_author_url_[hash] | thedark.ai (WordPress) | Remembers your name, email and website for the comment form. Set only if you tick “Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment”. | About 1 year |
| wordpress_logged_in_[hash], wordpress_sec_[hash], wordpress_test_cookie | thedark.ai (WordPress) | Keeps site administrators logged in. Not set for normal visitors. | Session or up to 14 days |
3.2 Analytics
These cookies help me understand how visitors use the site, for example which articles are read most and how people find them. The data is statistical and is not used to identify you. They are set only if you accept analytics cookies.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Tells unique visitors apart by giving your browser a random ID | 2 years |
| _ga_[ID] | Google Analytics | Keeps the state of your visit (session) in Google Analytics 4 | 2 years |
Google Analytics is provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Data may be transferred to Google LLC in the USA, which is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. See the Privacy Policy for details.
3.3 Marketing
These cookies are set by YouTube when an embedded video loads. YouTube may use them to measure views, remember your player settings, show you personalised ads and track your activity across websites. Because of this, videos load only if you accept marketing cookies.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| YSC | YouTube (Google) | Records video views and keeps the player working during your visit | Session |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | YouTube (Google) | Estimates your bandwidth and stores player preferences | 6 months |
| VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA | YouTube (Google) | Stores your consent state for YouTube | 6 months |
| PREF | YouTube (Google) | Stores your player preferences, such as language and volume | 8 months |
| yt-remote-*, ytidb::LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY (local storage) | YouTube (Google) | Store player state and remember devices for casting | Session or persistent |
YouTube is a service of Google Ireland Limited (address above). YouTube may set more cookies than those listed here, and Google can change them at any time. See how Google uses cookies.
3.4 Preferences
The site does not currently use preference cookies beyond those listed as necessary.
3.5 Unclassified
The cookie banner may list cookies it has not yet sorted into a category. I check these regularly and move them to the right category or remove them. Unclassified cookies are not set without your consent.
4. Google Search Console
I also use Google Search Console to see how the site appears in Google Search. Search Console does not run on the site and sets no cookies on your device.
5. How to change or withdraw your consent
You can change your mind at any time. Open the cookie settings through the cookie icon or link on the site, then choose Reject All or change your preferences. Withdrawing consent does not affect cookies that were used before you withdrew it. Cookies that are already stored stay in your browser until they expire or you delete them.
You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Note that blocking all cookies may stop parts of the site, such as the security check or the comment form, from working. Help pages for common browsers:
To stop Google Analytics on all websites, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
6. Changes to this policy
I update this policy when the cookies on the site change. The date at the top shows the latest version. If I add a new category of non-essential cookies, the banner will ask for your consent again.
7. Contact
For any question about cookies on this site, write to [email protected].