Knoesis Technologies Limited operates FORUM as a free-to-access platform supported in part by advertising revenue. Knoesis makes display advertising space available on the Platform through the Google AdSense programme. Knoesis does not operate its own advertising server, advertising exchange, or data management platform for advertising purposes.

Knoesis's role in the advertising ecosystem is limited to: making advertising inventory available on the Platform; configuring high-level contextual parameters to ensure advertisements are relevant to the Platform's subject matter; and complying with its legal obligations in relation to advertising data under PECR and UK GDPR. Knoesis does not select, create, or target individual advertisements to specific users.

Advertisements on the Platform are served by Google AdSense, a digital advertising programme operated by Google LLC, a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, whose European operations are conducted through Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google AdSense operates as an independent Data Controller in respect of data it collects and processes for advertising purposes. This means that Google makes its own decisions about how to use certain data collected through its advertising technology, subject to its own privacy policy and applicable law. Knoesis does not direct or control Google's independent data processing activities.

Individual advertisements displayed on the Platform are purchased and placed by third-party advertisers through Google's advertising platform. Knoesis has no direct contractual relationship with individual advertisers and does not control the specific advertisements served by Google AdSense beyond the high-level category and contextual parameters it configures. Knoesis does not disclose your personal data to individual advertisers.

The primary mechanism by which advertising is matched to the Platform is contextual targeting. Contextual advertising means that advertisements are selected and served based on the subject matter, category, and content of the Platform itself -- rather than on a detailed profile of your individual characteristics, browsing history, or personal data.

Knoesis configures Google AdSense with contextual signals indicating that the Platform is a structured debate and discussion service serving primarily an academic and student audience in the United Kingdom. Google's systems use these signals to serve advertisements that are relevant to the Platform's general subject matter. This approach deliberately limits the degree to which your personal data drives advertising selection.

When you access a page on the Platform that contains an advertisement slot, the following process occurs:

• Your browser sends a request to Google AdSense's servers to fill the advertisement slot
• Google's systems assess the available advertising inventory against contextual signals from the page and Platform category
• Where you have consented to advertising cookies and personalisation, Google may additionally use data it holds about you across its services to further refine advertisement selection
• Where you have not consented to advertising personalisation, Google serves advertisements on a contextual basis only, without reference to individual user data beyond what is technically necessary to deliver the advertisement
• The selected advertisement is returned to your browser and displayed in the designated slot

This process occurs in milliseconds and involves no manual selection of advertisements for individual users by Knoesis.

Specifically, Knoesis does not:

• Build or sell individual advertising profiles based on your debate participation, argument content, or reputation data
• Share your Account identity (name, email, handle) with Google AdSense or any advertiser
• Permit advertisers to target you based on the specific positions you have taken in debates
• Allow retargeting of users based on their Platform activity on third-party websites
• Insert sponsored content into debate arguments or present paid content as User-Generated Content
• Serve advertising in a manner designed to manipulate debate outcomes or user positions
• Permit advertisements for products or services that violate the CAP Code or applicable UK advertising standards

Knoesis passes the following limited information to Google AdSense in connection with advertising:

• The URL of the page on which an advertisement is being displayed
• The category and contextual classification of the Platform as configured by Knoesis in its AdSense account settings
• Technical parameters necessary for advertisement rendering (such as available slot dimensions)

Knoesis does not pass individually identified user data (such as your Account ID, email address, debate history, or reputation metrics) to Google AdSense in connection with advertising delivery.

Google AdSense collects and processes certain data independently as a Data Controller in accordance with its own privacy policy. This includes data collected through advertising cookies and similar technologies placed on your device (subject to your consent), and data derived from Google's broader ecosystem where you are signed into a Google Account. Knoesis does not have access to, control over, or responsibility for data processed by Google in this capacity.

For full details of Google's advertising data practices, please refer to Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy and Google's Advertising Overview at policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

Advertising cookies are small data files placed on your device by Google AdSense's technology when you access pages containing advertisement slots. These cookies enable Google to: recognise your device across different website visits; deliver advertisements relevant to your interests (where personalisation is enabled); limit the number of times you see the same advertisement; measure whether you clicked on an advertisement; and detect and prevent advertising fraud.

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 ("PECR") require that non-essential cookies -- including advertising cookies that are not strictly necessary for the delivery of the Service -- may only be placed on your device with your prior, freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent. Advertising cookies placed by Google AdSense are non-essential and therefore require your consent before they are placed.

Knoesis obtains this consent through a cookie consent mechanism presented to you on your first visit to the Platform and accessible subsequently via the Platform's cookie settings. Your consent is recorded and stored. You may withdraw consent at any time as described in Clause 4.4 below.

If you do not consent to advertising cookies, or if you subsequently withdraw consent:

• Google AdSense advertising cookies will not be placed on your device
• Advertisements may still be displayed on the Platform, but they will be served on a non-personalised, contextual basis only
• Google will not use cross-site tracking data or advertising identifiers to personalise the advertisements you see
• Your ability to use the core Platform features -- including debate participation, reputation tracking, and community features -- is not affected by your advertising cookie preferences

You have multiple mechanisms available to manage your advertising cookie preferences:

• Platform cookie settings: Access the cookie management tool via the settings menu or the cookie consent banner on the Platform at any time to update your advertising cookie preferences.
• Browser settings: Most browsers allow you to block, delete, or restrict cookies. Note that blocking all cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform's authentication features.
• Google Ads Settings: Manage Google's advertising personalisation across all sites at adssettings.google.com.
• Your Online Choices: The UK's online advertising opt-out tool is available at youronlinechoices.com.
• Network Advertising Initiative: The NAI opt-out tool is available at optout.networkadvertising.org.

This list represents the principal advertising cookies associated with Google AdSense at the time of this Notice's effective date. For the most current list of cookies used by Google, please refer to Google's cookie documentation.

Knoesis's advertising activities comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation as follows:

• Transparency: This Notice, the Privacy Policy, and the cookie consent mechanism together provide full transparency about advertising data processing before it occurs.
• Lawful basis: Advertising cookies are processed on the basis of consent (Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR) obtained prior to cookie placement. Contextual advertising signals passed by Knoesis to Google are processed on the basis of Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f)).
• Data minimisation: Knoesis does not pass individually identified user data to Google AdSense. Advertising delivery relies on contextual signals and, where consented, Google's own data rather than Knoesis-held personal data.
• Purpose limitation: Data collected in connection with advertising is not used by Knoesis for non-advertising purposes.
• Consent quality: The cookie consent mechanism is designed to obtain freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent, presented in plain language prior to any non-essential cookie placement.

Knoesis complies with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 as follows:

• Non-essential advertising cookies are only placed on your device following your prior affirmative consent
• The cookie consent mechanism clearly identifies advertising cookies, their purpose, and the third parties involved before consent is obtained
• Consent is not pre-ticked, bundled with Terms of Service acceptance, or made a condition of accessing the Service
• Withdrawal of consent is as straightforward as giving it and does not result in detriment to your use of the Service
• Strictly necessary cookies required for Platform authentication are deployed without consent, as permitted under PECR, and are not used for advertising purposes

Knoesis complies with the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as follows:

• All advertising on the Platform is clearly identifiable as advertising and is not presented as editorial content, User-Generated Content, or organic debate material
• Knoesis does not permit advertising that is misleading, harmful, or offensive under the CAP Code
• Advertising is not targeted at children under 13 in contravention of applicable advertising standards
• Knoesis cooperates with the ASA's complaint-handling processes in respect of advertising displayed on the Platform

Individual advertisers whose advertisements are served by Google AdSense are independently responsible for compliance with the CAP Code in respect of their own advertising content.

Under the Online Safety Act 2023, Knoesis maintains appropriate measures to ensure that advertising on the Platform does not: facilitate illegal content; target vulnerable users including children with inappropriate advertising; or undermine the Platform's safety mechanisms. Advertising categories that could conflict with the Platform's safety obligations are excluded from Knoesis's AdSense configuration.

Knoesis configures its Google AdSense account to exclude advertising categories that are inappropriate for the Platform's audience and purpose. The following categories are excluded from advertising delivery on the Platform:

• Adult and sexually explicit content
• Gambling and betting advertising (to the extent permitted by AdSense category controls)
• Alcohol advertising targeted at users under the legal drinking age
• Content promoting illegal products or services
• Advertising constituting hate speech or discriminatory content
• Predatory financial products, payday lending, and high-cost short-term credit
• Advertising that could constitute a conflict of interest with the integrity of specific Debates hosted on the Platform

Knoesis reviews and updates its AdSense content exclusions on a regular basis and will act promptly upon becoming aware that advertising in a prohibited category has been served on the Platform.

All advertising content on the Platform is clearly labelled as advertising. Google AdSense advertising units carry standardised identification labels (such as "Ad" or "Sponsored") in accordance with Google's publisher policies and applicable advertising standards. No advertising content is presented on the Platform in a manner that could cause it to be mistaken for User-Generated Content, editorial content, or organic Platform features.

If you have a complaint about an advertisement displayed on the Platform -- including its content, targeting, or labelling -- you may:

• Report the advertisement directly to Knoesis at legal@knoesis.co.uk with the subject line "Advertising Complaint"
• Use Google AdSense's advertisement feedback mechanism (accessible via the information icon on the advertisement)
• Submit a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority at asa.org.uk

Knoesis participates in the Google AdSense programme as a publisher under Google's AdSense Programme Policies and Publisher Terms of Service. As a publisher, Knoesis agrees to comply with Google's policies in respect of ad placement, prohibited content, and user data. Google's programme policies are available at support.google.com/adsense/answer/48182.

To the extent that Knoesis passes personal data to Google in connection with advertising, it does so under Google's Advertising Data Processing Terms, which constitute a Data Processing Agreement for the purposes of Article 28 UK GDPR. These terms govern the processing of personal data by Google in its capacity as a Data Processor on Knoesis's instructions.

Google may act in two different capacities in connection with advertising on the Platform:

• As Data Processor: when processing data strictly on Knoesis's instructions for the purpose of serving advertisements as configured by Knoesis (e.g., applying Knoesis's contextual category settings).
• As independent Data Controller: when processing data for Google's own purposes, including improving Google's advertising products, fraud prevention across Google's network, and advertising personalisation based on data Google holds independently of Knoesis.

Knoesis is responsible only for the processing it directs as Data Controller. Users should refer to Google's privacy documentation for information about Google's independent Data Controller processing.

Google LLC is incorporated in the United States. Data processed by Google in connection with AdSense may be transferred to and stored in the United States and other countries outside the United Kingdom and European Economic Area. Such transfers are conducted pursuant to mechanisms recognised under UK adequacy regulations, including the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses. Further information is available in Google's Privacy Policy.

In respect of personal data held by Knoesis in connection with advertising (primarily the contextual page signals passed to AdSense and aggregate analytics), you have the full suite of UK GDPR rights described in Section 7 of the Privacy Policy. Contact legal@dailyforum.co.uk to exercise these rights.

In respect of personal data processed by Google AdSense independently as a Data Controller, your rights must be exercised directly with Google. Google provides mechanisms to:

• Access and download your Google Account data at myaccount.google.com
• Manage advertising personalisation settings at adssettings.google.com
• Submit data rights requests through Google's privacy request portal

You may withdraw consent to advertising cookies at any time via the Platform's cookie management tool, your browser settings, or Google's Ad Settings. Withdrawal of advertising consent does not affect your ability to use the Platform's core features and does not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place prior to withdrawal.

Where Knoesis relies on Legitimate Interests as a lawful basis for any advertising-related data processing (specifically the passing of contextual page signals to AdSense), you have the right to object to that processing under Article 21 UK GDPR. Knoesis will cease such processing unless it can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests. To exercise your right to object, contact legal@dailyforum.co.uk.

FORUM is designed primarily for users aged 16 and above, with a minimum age requirement of 13 as set out in our Terms of Service. The Platform's primary intended audience is university students and young adults. Knoesis acknowledges that the Platform may be used by users under the age of 18.

In respect of users under 18, Knoesis implements the following advertising-specific protections:

• Advertising categories likely to be harmful or inappropriate for under-18 users (including gambling, adult content, and predatory financial products) are excluded from the Platform's AdSense configuration
• Knoesis does not knowingly enable the collection of personal data from users under 13 for advertising purposes
• Where Knoesis becomes aware that a user under 13 has accessed the Platform, their Account and associated data will be deleted, including any advertising consent recorded in connection with that Account
• Knoesis will review its advertising content exclusions against the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code guidance as it applies to advertising on platforms likely to be accessed by under-18s

Parents and guardians of users between the ages of 13 and 17 who have concerns about advertising displayed on the Platform, or about data processed in connection with advertising in respect of their child, may contact legal@dailyforum.co.uk to discuss available options including Account deletion and data erasure.

Knoesis reserves the right to update this Advertising Information Notice at any time to reflect changes in advertising technology, data processing practices, legal requirements, or the Platform's advertising configuration. Material changes will be communicated to registered users by email or by prominent Platform notice no less than 14 days before changes take effect.

This Notice should be read alongside Knoesis's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, all of which form part of the legal framework governing your use of the Platform. In the event of any conflict between this Notice and the Privacy Policy in respect of advertising data processing, the Privacy Policy shall prevail.

Knoesis Technologies Limited — Advertising and Privacy Compliance
Email: legal@knoesis.co.uk  ·  Subject line: "Advertising Enquiry" or "Advertising Complaint"
Platform: knoesis.co.uk

For complaints about specific advertisements: asa.org.uk
For Google advertising data: adssettings.google.com
For UK data protection authority: ico.org.uk