Cookies and similar storage

This page explains the small browser records used by Nebula. We keep the system narrow: an essential preference records whether a visitor accepted or rejected the cookie notice. Nebula does not use hidden pixels, fingerprinting or advertising cookies in the current 2026 publication. The explanation covers cookies, local storage and comparable technologies that a website can place in a browser. It should be read alongside the privacy policy, which describes how personal information is handled more broadly. A reader who prefers not to accept any optional storage can still read every article on the site. The policy applies to all pages published by Nebula, including the home page, article pages, glossary, resources library, event listings and the contact form. It does not describe the practices of external websites that a link may open, since those sites set their own storage. The Indonesian Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 27 of 2022) is the main legal reference for the handling of any information linked to a browser.

1. What a cookie is

A cookie is a short value stored by a browser for a website. It can remember a preference but cannot by itself identify a person by name. Visitors can inspect, block or delete cookies through their browser settings. Cookies are usually grouped by purpose: essential cookies make a requested feature work, preference cookies remember a choice, analytics cookies measure use of pages and advertising cookies support marketing. Nebula currently sets only one value, in the first category, and the sections below describe it in detail. Similar technologies include local storage, session storage and tracking pixels, and Nebula uses none of these for tracking. A first-party cookie is set by the site the visitor is reading, while a third-party cookie is set by another domain, and the current publication sets only the first kind. A reader who understands these categories can compare the choices offered by different websites more easily.

2. Essential preference

cookieChoice records the banner decision as accept or reject. It is used to avoid showing the same notice on every page. The value contains no email address, article history or health information. The table of attributes is simple: the name is cookieChoice, the type is first-party, the purpose is remembering the banner decision, the expiry is 12 months from the date of the choice, and the content is the single word accept or reject. The value is sent back to the Nebula server with page requests, but the server does not use it to build a profile of the reader. The legal basis for this preference is the legitimate interest in operating a notice that respects the reader's decision, and no personal information is needed to do so. The cookie is not shared with any other organisation, and it is not transferred outside Indonesia by Nebula. If the value is deleted, the only consequence is that the notice appears again on the next page view.

3. Lifespan

The preference remains until the browser removes it or a visitor makes a new choice. Session storage used by a hosting service, if any, ends when the browser session ends. Security logs are separate and follow the 90-day period described in the privacy policy. Nebula sets a maximum expiry of 12 months so that the notice is shown again at least once a year, which gives a reader a regular opportunity to review the decision. If a browser is set to clear data on exit, the preference ends at that moment and the notice will appear again on the next visit. The three periods that apply to Nebula can be summarised as follows:

• (a) The cookieChoice preference lasts for up to 12 months.
• (b) Session storage, where a hosting service uses it for page delivery, ends when the browser is closed.
• (c) Security and server logs are kept for 90 days and are not linked to the preference.

4. Analytics

Nebula does not activate optional analytics without a clear choice. If that changes, the banner and this page will name the provider, purpose, categories collected and retention period before the feature is enabled. For example, an analytics cookie might last for 13 months and record anonymous page counts, and a notice of that kind would state the lifespan and the country where the data is processed. Rejecting analytics will not reduce access to articles, the glossary, the resources library or the contact form. Any future analytics tool would be introduced only after the privacy policy named the provider, the legal basis and any transfer of data outside Indonesia. The desk would favour settings that shorten IP addresses and avoid cross-site identifiers, and it would report only aggregate counts internally. Until such a notice is published, the site has no analytics cookie to accept or reject.

5. Third parties

External links may set their own cookies after a visitor leaves Nebula. Their policies apply independently. The publication cannot read or delete a third party's storage from this site. If an article embeds an external item, such as a map or a document viewer, the desk will state this beside the item so that the reader can decide whether to open it. Readers should review the cookie notice of any external site before accepting its storage. Nebula does not place social-media buttons, tracking pixels or embedded video players that load third-party storage automatically. A link to a journal, a professional body or a government site opens that organisation's own page, and the visitor then leaves the scope of this policy. A reader who notices unexpected storage that appears to come from Nebula can report it through contact.php for review.

6. Browser controls

Most browsers allow a visitor to reject all cookies, delete selected values or receive a notice before storage. Blocking essential preference storage may mean the banner returns on each page view, but the articles remain readable. Instructions differ between Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge, and are normally found under privacy or site settings. On a mobile device, the same controls are usually available in the browser settings or in the system settings for the browser. Many browsers also offer private browsing, which discards cookies when the window is closed. Browser extensions that block trackers or scripts will not affect the reading of articles, because the pages do not depend on tracking scripts. A visitor who shares a computer, for example in an internet cafe or a library, may prefer to clear site data at the end of the session. The desk can describe the steps for a specific browser on request.

7. Consent record

The local browser choice is evidence of the interface decision on that device; Nebula does not combine it with an account. A visitor may withdraw the choice by deleting site data and revisiting the website. Because the choice is stored only on the device, a reader who uses a phone and a laptop will see the notice once on each. Nebula does not keep a server-side list of who accepted or rejected, and therefore cannot look up a particular reader's decision on request. This design limits the information held about readers, in line with the data minimisation principle of Law No. 27 of 2022. A reader who wishes to change an earlier choice can delete the cookie named cookieChoice and reload the page, after which the notice is shown again. Nebula does not treat silence or continued scrolling as agreement to optional storage.

8. Children

The site is not designed to collect information from children. Parents or guardians who believe a child has submitted personal information may contact the desk and request review or deletion. The desk aims to acknowledge such a request within 7 business days and to complete the deletion within 30 days. The cookie preference itself contains no personal information about a child or any other reader. A parent making a request is asked to describe the page and the date of the contact so that the desk can find the message without collecting extra details. Where identity is unclear, the desk may ask for a limited confirmation, such as the email address used, and will delete that confirmation after the request is closed. Nebula does not knowingly profile or target young readers.

9. Questions

For questions about storage or privacy, contact Nebula at Jalan Cendrawasih No. 45, Duren Sawit, Jakarta Timur 13440, Indonesia, or call +62 856 9317 4825. Written questions sent through contact.php receive an acknowledgement within 7 business days, and a full answer is normally provided within 30 days. A reader who wants to understand a technical detail, such as how to inspect cookies in a particular browser, can describe the browser and version so the desk can give a relevant answer. A reader who is not satisfied with the reply may ask for a second review by the editor, which the desk aims to complete within 14 days. Complaints about personal data may also be directed to the Indonesian authority responsible for personal data protection, currently within the ministry for communication and digital affairs. The desk keeps a record of each question for 24 months so that repeated issues can be identified and fixed.

10. Change history

This policy was published 1 January 2026 and reviewed 1 October 2026. Future changes will state the date and explain any new category of storage in plain language. The entries are recorded here:

• 1 January 2026: first publication, listing the cookieChoice preference as the only value set by Nebula.
• 1 October 2026: review of lifespan, browser controls and consent record wording; no new cookie or tracking technology was added.

If a new category is ever introduced, the notice will appear before the storage is activated and will remain on this page together with the date of introduction. Wording-only changes, such as a clearer description of a browser control, are logged here but do not reset the 12-month period of an existing choice. A change that alters the purpose of the cookieChoice value would be treated as a new category and would require a fresh decision from each reader. Earlier versions of this page can be requested through contact.php, and the desk aims to supply them within 14 days.