Tuesday, 13 October 2026Sign inSubscribe
Strategist’s Cut

An editorial on modern power, brand behaviour, intellectual property, and market architecture.

Estd 2026

Strategist’s Cut

Cookie Policy

Which cookies we use, why, and for how long.

Last updated: 12 October 2026

This Cookie Policy explains the cookies and similar technologies used on Strategist’s Cut, what each one does and how long it lasts. It should be read with our Privacy Policy.

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. Similar technologies, such as local storage and session storage, keep small pieces of information on your device in the same way. We use the word “cookies” for all of them.

2. Strictly necessary cookies

These make the site work as you would expect. They do not need your consent, and they are never used for advertising.

  • sc_reader: keeps you signed in to your reader account. If you choose “Stay logged in”, it lasts 30 days; otherwise it is deleted when you close your browser.
  • sc_free: remembers which article you read for free before creating an account, and whether you finished it, so the one-article limit works. It contains only the article number and lasts one year. Clearing your cookies resets it.
  • sc_vid: a random, anonymous number set only when you like a story, so the same browser cannot like it twice. It lasts one year.
  • sc_oauth and sc_gticket: used only while you sign in with Google, to protect the sign-in from forgery and to finish creating your account. They expire after 10 and 30 minutes.
  • sc-analytics-consent (local storage): remembers your cookie choice so we do not ask again on every page.
  • sc-sound (local storage): remembers if you turned off the sound of the opening letter. Set only if you use that switch.
  • sc-view and sc-read (session storage): stop the same article being counted twice in one visit. Deleted when you close the tab.
  • payload-token: used only by our editorial team to sign in to the site’s admin area. Readers never receive it.

3. Our own reading statistics

We count article views, reading time, scroll depth and where visitors came from without using cookies. Each day, your connection details are turned into a one-way code that cannot be reversed and changes daily; only that code is kept, for no more than two days, to count unique visitors. We never store your IP address.

If we switch on Google Analytics or the Meta Pixel, they load only after you choose “Accept analytics” in the cookie notice. They may set cookies such as _ga and _ga_* (Google, up to two years) and _fbp (Meta, up to three months) to understand how the site is used. If you choose “Essential only”, they never load.

5. Embedded content

Articles may contain Instagram posts and Reels, posts from X, and YouTube or Vimeo videos. Instagram and X embeds load from those services when they come into view and may set their own cookies under their own policies. YouTube (in privacy-enhanced mode) and Vimeo videos load only when you press play.

6. Managing your choices

You can change your mind at any time with the “Change cookie settings” button at the end of this page (this page is linked from the footer of every page and from the cookie notice). You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings; if you do, you may be signed out and the free-article limit may not work as described.

7. Contact

Questions about this policy: strategistscut@gmail.com.