Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how Otumi Homes Ltd ("Otumi Homes", "we", "our", or "us") uses cookies and similar technologies on otumihomes.com. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides further detail on how we handle your personal data. This policy is issued in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) of Ghana.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit. They allow the site to remember your preferences and understand how you interact with its pages.

Not all storage mechanisms are technically "cookies" — our site also uses localStorage, a browser feature that stores small pieces of data locally on your device without an expiry date (unless you clear your browser data). We treat localStorage items the same as cookies under this policy and disclose them with equal transparency.

Session cookies

Exist only while your browser is open. Deleted automatically when you close the browser.

Persistent cookies

Remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them manually.

Third-party cookies

Set by external services embedded in our site (e.g. YouTube video player).

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Ensure the website works correctly and securely
Remember your accessibility and display preferences between visits
Understand how visitors navigate and interact with our pages, so we can improve the experience
Enable video content from YouTube when you choose to watch it
Measure the effectiveness of our online presence

We do not use cookies for advertising, retargeting, or selling your data to third parties.

3. Cookies We Use

Strictly Necessary

Always active

These cookies are required for the website to function. They cannot be disabled. No personal information is stored by these cookies.

Name	Purpose	Type	Duration
__vercel_live_token	Used by the Vercel hosting infrastructure to route requests correctly. Not accessible to the site application.	Strictly Necessary	Session

Preference (localStorage)

Optional

These items are saved to your browser's localStorage — not transmitted to our servers — when you adjust settings in the Accessibility panel (the person icon at the bottom-left of every page). They have no expiry date and persist until you clear your browser storage or reset preferences within the panel.

Name	Purpose	Type	Duration
a11y-font-size	Stores your text-size preference (Small / Normal / Large / Largest) set in the Accessibility panel.	Preference	Persistent (until cleared)
a11y-high-contrast	Stores whether you have enabled the High Contrast display mode.	Preference	Persistent (until cleared)
a11y-reduce-motion	Stores whether you have enabled the Reduce Motion setting to minimise animations.	Preference	Persistent (until cleared)
a11y-dyslexia-font	Stores whether you have enabled the Dyslexia-Friendly Font (Lexend typeface).	Preference	Persistent (until cleared)

Analytics

Optional

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website — which pages are popular, how long people spend on each section, and what content is most helpful. All data is aggregated and anonymised; we do not use analytics to identify individual users. IP addresses are anonymised before processing.

Name	Purpose	Type	Duration
_ga	Google Analytics — distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated number. Used to calculate visitor, session, and campaign data for site analytics reports.	Analytics	2 years
_ga_*	Google Analytics 4 (GA4) — maintains session state and tracks individual page-view events.	Analytics	2 years

4. Third-Party Services

YouTube (Google LLC)

Our website embeds video content hosted on YouTube. When you click play on a video — on the homepage or the Media page — YouTube sets its own cookies on your device. These cookies are controlled by Google and are subject to Google's Privacy Policy and YouTube's Terms of Service. We use YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed mode (youtube-nocookie.com is not in use, but autoplay is only triggered on explicit user action — no video loads until you press play).

Name	Purpose	Type	Duration
YSC	Set by YouTube when you play a video. Registers a unique ID for a browser session to track video plays and ensure security.	Third-Party	Session
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE	Set by YouTube. Estimates bandwidth on pages with embedded video in order to optimise video quality.	Third-Party	6 months
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA	Set by YouTube. Stores consent and region information to personalise content in accordance with Google's privacy settings.	Third-Party	6 months

To understand how Google uses data from its embedded services, visit: policies.google.com/privacy

Important note

Third-party cookies set by YouTube are only placed when you actively interact with video content. Simply visiting a page containing a video thumbnail does not trigger any YouTube cookies.

5. Managing Your Preferences

You have several ways to control cookies and similar storage on our site and in your browser:

Accessibility preferences

Open the Accessibility panel (person icon, bottom-left of any page) and click "Reset to defaults". This removes all four localStorage preference items immediately.

Browser cookie settings

All major browsers let you view, block, and delete cookies via their settings menu. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent the site from working correctly.

Opt out of Google Analytics

You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on:

Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on →

Do Not Track (DNT)

Some browsers offer a Do Not Track signal. While there is no industry standard requiring websites to honour DNT, we take note of its spirit and do not engage in cross-site tracking.

6. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy as our website evolves or as legal requirements change. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

7. Contact Us

If you have questions about how we use cookies or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact:

Data Protection Officer

Otumi Homes Ltd

7th Floor — Atlantic Tower, Liberation Road, Airport City, Accra, Ghana

info@otumihomes.com