Cookie Policy

Cookies improve the user experience on our services because they allow, e.g., the system to recognize returning visitors. The term "cookies" in this privacy notice refers to cookies and similar technologies. The term "computer" in this privacy notice refers to computers, smartphones and all other devices with internet access. Cookies are small, usually randomly coded text files that are sent to your computer and stored there. These cookies allow your browser to track certain information that may be retrieved and used by internet servers at a later stage. Merck uses cookies and similar technologies on its services for several reasons, for example:

• Websites load faster;
• Websites may be browsed faster;
• Your settings, such as language and time zone, may be saved;
• Security on websites is improved since your identity may be verified; and
• Your log-in to secured websites is facilitated.

We include the following three categories of cookies on our services:

NECESSARY COOKIES

These cookies are necessary to safeguard the functionalities of our services and for the website to operate. Cookies are set, in particular, in response to your actions and depend on your specific service requests (e.g., setting your privacy preferences, filling out forms, or logging in). More specifically, we set the following cookies:

• accessToken: This cookie is used for accessing api endpoints. It expires after 14 days.
• ak_bmsc: This cookie is used by Akamai to optimize site security by distinguishing between humans and bots. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• akaalb_origin-alb: This cookie contains regional information which is used to determine which origin (i.e., Google datacenter) to send a request to and to use for session affinity. It expires when you close your browser.
• bm_sv: This cookie is necessary for the Akamai cache function. A cache is used by the website to optimize the response time between the visitor and the website. This cookie usually expires within a few seconds.
• CAKEPHP: This cookie is used a cookie controller for managing other cookies and preserves users states across page requests. This cookie will expire when you close your browser.
• country: This cookie is used for storing country code selected from country selector. It expires after one year.
• dtCookie: This cookie name is associated with, software from Dynatrace, an application performance management (APM) software company. Their software manages the availability and performance of software applications and the impact on user experience in the form of deep transaction tracing, synthetic monitoring, real user monitoring, and network monitoring. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• dtLatC: This cookie name is associated with, software from Dynatrace, an application performance management (APM) software company. Their software manages the availability and performance of software applications and the impact on user experience in the form of deep transaction tracing, synthetic monitoring, real user monitoring, and network monitoring. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• dtPC: This cookie name is associated with, software from Dynatrace, an application performance management (APM) software company. Their software manages the availability and performance of software applications and the impact on user experience in the form of deep transaction tracing, synthetic monitoring, real user monitoring, and network monitoring. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• dtSa: This cookie is used to save action names across pages so that performance can be monitored across pages. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• FASRV: FormAssembly cookie that allows a user to submit information required within a website form. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• incap_ses_*: This cookie is set to allow a visitor to receive site content from one out of multiple servers as the visitor browses the site. This allows the visitor’s session to be maintained. It expires after you close your browser.
• language: This cookie used to remember the user language settings. It expires after one year.
• loggedIn: This cookie is set with value true once a user logs-in. It expires after 14 days.
• OptanonConsent: This cookie is set by the cookie compliance solution from OneTrust. It stores information about the categories of cookies the site uses and whether visitors have given or withdrawn consent for the use of each category. This enables site owners to prevent cookies in each category from being set in the users’ browser when consent is not given. The cookie has a normal lifespan of one year, so that returning visitors to the site will have their preferences remembered. It contains no information that can identify the site visitor.
• OptanonAlertBoxClosed: This cookie is set by websites using certain versions of the cookie law compliance solution from OneTrust. It is set after visitors have seen a cookie information notice and, in some cases, only when they actively close the notice down. It enables the website not to show the message more than once to a user. The cookie has a one year lifespan and contains no personal information.
• rxVisitor: This cookie is used to store an anonymous ID for the user to correlate across sessions on the world service. This cookie expires after one year.
• rxvt: This cookie is used to store two timestamps to determine session length and the end of a session. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• Store: This cookie is used to retrieve the language for B2B users. It expires after 14 days.
• Visid_incap_XXXXX: This cookie is from the incapsula CDN and helps us with reliability, security, and the performance of our site. This cookie expires when you close your browser.
• _vis_opt_exp_n_combi: This cookie name is associated with the product Visual Website Optimizer, by USA based Wingify. The tool helps site owners measure the performance of different versions of web pages. This cookie is generated when users are given a particular version of a page. This makes sure that users see the same variation that they earlier saw when they visited the page. This cookie expires after 100 days.
• _vis_opt_s: This cookie tracks session created for a visitor, i.e., the number of times the browser was closed and reopened. The value is >=1, followed by a pipe sign. It expires when you close 100 days.
• _vis_opt_test_cookie: This cookie detects if the cookies are enabled on the visitor’s browser or not. It also helps in tracking the number of browser sessions a visitor has gone through. The value of this cookie is always set to 1. It expires when you close your browser.
• _vwo_ds: This cookie stores persistent user-level data for VWO insights. It expires after three months.
• _vwo_referrer: This cookie is associated with the product Visual Website Optimizer, by Wingify. The tool helps site owners measure the performance of different versions of web pages.
• _vwo_sn: This cookie stored session-level information. It expires after 30 minutes.
• _vwo_uuid: This cookie generates a unique id for every visitor and is used for the report segmentation feature in VWO. It allows to view data in a more refined manner. It expires after 362 days.
• _vwo_uud_v2: This cookie calculates unique traffic on the site and is used to measure the performance of different versions of web pages. This cookie expires when you close your browser. It expires after 366 days.

FUNCTIONAL COOKIES

These cookies enable the provision of advanced functionalities and are used for personalization. The cookies are set in particular in response to your actions and depend on your specific service requests (e.g. pop-up notification choices). More specifically, we set the following cookies:

• _sp_root_domain_test: SnowPlow Analytics cookie used to facilitate the data needed for the product recommendation engine
• Bm_mi: This cookie is used to analyze traffic to determine if it is automated traffic generated by IT systems or a human user
• Fs_uid: These cookies identify the visitor in a third-party service we use for replaying sessions from users. We use these cookies to help us understand how users interact with our site and to replicate any issues users may encounter.
• hideSitewideMessages: This cookie stores a list of unique sitewide message ID’s that have been dismissed and should no longer be displayed during the user’s session. It expires when you close your browser or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• mdLogger: This cookie enables console login for debugging purposes. This cookie last for one year, or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• Kampyle_userid: This cookie is set by the provider Medallia. This cookie is used for storing a user ID.
• kampyleInvitePresented: Cookie flag indicating whether an intercept was presented in the session.
• kampylePageLoadedTimestamp: Cookie used to create timestamp indicating when the page was loaded. Used for time on page targeting.
• kampyleSessionPageCounter: This cookie is commonly associated with customer survey and feedback.
• kampyleUserPercentile: Cooke that creates a number between 0-100 used for the percentage of users targeting.

TARGETING COOKIES

These cookies may be set to learn more about your interests and show you relevant ads on other websites. These cookies work by uniquely identifying your browser and device. By integrating these cookies, we aim to learn more about your interests and your surfing behavior and to be able to place our advertising in a targeting manner. More specifically, we set the following cookies:

• _sp_root_domain_test: SnowPlow Analytics cookie used to facilitate the data needed for the product recommendation engine
• _Secure-3PAPISID: Builds a profile of a website visitor interests to show relevant and personalized ads through retargeting. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• _Secure-3PSID: Builds a profile of website visitor interests to show relevant and personalized ads through retargeting. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• (empty): Empty Facebook cookie (this cookie has no name) used to improve Rabobank’s advertising offer on Facebook. It will be deleted immediately after you close the browser or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• _dc_gtm_UA-xxxxx: This cookie is used by Google Tag Manager to store the website user’s account number. It will expire after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• _fbp: This cookie is used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products on Facebook. It expires after three months or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• _ga: This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a customer identifier. It is included in every page request on a website and is used to calculate visitor, session, and campaign data for website analytics reports. By default, it set to expire after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• _gac_UA-: This cookie stores campaign information to provide Google Ads with a reliable way to measure the customer interaction with our site. Analytics writes campaign information to the _gac cookie when a user opens a page on the site. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• _gat_UA-: This cookie is used to limit the number of requests that must be made to doubleclick.net. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• _gcl_xxxx: This cookie is used as a conversion linker tag in web and AMP containers that can be configured to link across domains for cases where you have landing pages and conversion pages on multiple domains for Google AdSense. It expires after three months or upon withdrawal of consent.
• _gid: Used by Google Analytics to distinguish users. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• _uetsid: This cookie is used by Microsoft Bing Ads to store and track visits across the site for analytics and marketing purposes. It expires after one day or upon the withdrawal of your consent.
• _uetvid: This cookie is used to report user activity on the websites to Microsoft Advertising. It expires after 390 days or upon withdrawal of consent.
• 1P_JAR: This cookie is used by Google LLC and sets a unique ID to remember user preferences and other information such as website statistics. It expires after 30 days or upon withdrawal of consent.
• AnalyticsSyncHistory: Used to store information about the time a sync took place with the lms_analytics cookie.
• APISID: This cookie used to play YouTube videos embedded on the website. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Bcookie: This browser identifier cookie is set to uniquely identify devices accessing LinkedIn to detect abuse on the platform. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• Bito: This cookie is used for analytics and advertising services provided by Demandbase products. It expires after one year or upon withdrawal of consent.
• bitoIsSecure: Presents the user with relevant content and advertisement. The service is provided by third-party advertisement hubs, which facilitate real-time bidding for advertisers. It expires after one year or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Bscookie: This cookie is used by LinkedIn to recognize a secure browser ID.
• checkForPermission: Bidr.io cookie that determines whether a visitor has accepted the cookie consent box.
• ELOQUA: This cookie is used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from, and the pages they visited. Once consent is provided, through a form submission by the visitor, we can associate a visitor's ID to individual characteristics and past behavior. It expires after one year or upon withdrawal of consent.
• ELQSTATUS: This cookie is used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from, and the pages they visited. Once consent is provided, through a form submission by the visitor, we can associate a visitor's ID to individual characteristics and past behavior. It will expire after one year or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• HSID: This security cookie is used by Google to authenticate users, prevent fraudulent use of login credentials, and protect user data from unauthorized parties. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• IDE: This cookie is used by Google ads on non-Google sites. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent.
• JabmoSP0id.5e8a: This cookier registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. It expires after one year or upon withdrawal of consent.
• JabmoSP0ses.5e8a: This cookie is used to track page requests from the visitor during the session. It expires after 30 minutes or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Lang: LinkedIn cookie used to remember the user language settings. It expires when you close your browser or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Li_gc: LinkedIn cookie used to store consent of guests regarding the use of cookies for non-essential purposes. This cookie will expire after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Lidc: This cookie is used to optimize the data center selection. It expires after one day or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Li_sugr: This cookie is used to make a probabilistic match of the user’s identity outside the designated countries. It expires after three months or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Lms_analytics: This cookie is used to identify LinkedIn Members in the Designated Countries for analytics. It expires after three months or upon withdrawal of consent.
• MR: This cookie is used to pass user action information to the Bing advertising network. It expires after six months or upon withdrawal of consent.
• MUID: This cookie is used by Microsoft as a unique user ID. This bing.com cookie enables tracking by synchronizing the ID across many Microsoft domains. It expires after one year or upon withdrawal of consent.
• NID: This cookie is used for these purposes to show Google ads in Google services for signed-out users. It enables personalized autocomplete features in Search as users type search terms. It expires after six months or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Personalization_id: This cookie is owned by Twitter. The main business activity is: Social Networking Services. Where twitter acts as a third-party host, it collects data through a range of plug-ins and integrations, that is primarily used for tracking and targeting. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• SAPISID: This security cookie is used by Google to authenticate users, prevent fraudulent use of login credentials, and protect user data from unauthorized parties. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of your consent
• SID: This cookie is used to help customize ads on Google properties. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• SIDCC: This security cookie is used by Google to protect users’ data from unauthorized access. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Sp: This cookie is associated with Eventbrite and is used to deliver content tailored to the end user's interests and improve content creation. This cookie is also used for event-booking purposes.
• Test_cookie: This cookie is set by DoubleClick to determine if the website visitor’s browser supports cookies. It expires upon closing browser or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Tuuid: This cookie is used to recognize a returning visitor as a unique user. It expires after two years or upon withdrawal of consent.
• Tuuid_lu: This cookie is usually provided by bidswitch.net and is used for advertising purposes.
• UserMatchHistory: This cookie is set by LinkedIn. It is used to optimize the range of advertising on LinkedIn. It expires after 30 days or upon withdrawal of consent.
• UULE: The UULE parameter has base64 encoding argument in URLs to geolocate search engine results pages. It expires after one day or upon withdrawal of your consent.

Some computer browsers automatically accept all cookies. In this case, you may not see the cookie banner which allows you to manage your cookies individually. However, you can change your browser settings to block all cookies. You may also be able to configure your browser settings so that only certain types of cookies are blocked or so that you are notified as soon as a new cookie is to be stored on your computer. In this case, you can accept or reject cookies individually. If this function is available to you, you will find more detailed explanations in the help function of your browser. There you will also find information on how to delete all or certain cookies for which you have given us your consent. For more information on managing and deleting cookies for popular browsers, please see the following links: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari.