Overview
This Cookie Policy explains how USMC PFT Calculator ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit usmcpftcalculator.org. By continuing to use our site, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy. If you do not agree, you may disable cookies through your browser settings or opt out as described below.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, to remember your preferences, and to provide information to the website's operators about how users interact with the site.
Cookies do not contain viruses or malicious code. They cannot execute programs or deliver malware to your device. A cookie is simply a data file that a website stores on your device so it can recognize you on future visits or track certain behaviors across your current session.
Cookies vs. Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, we may also use related technologies that function similarly. These include:
Web Beacons
Tiny transparent image files (1×1 pixels) embedded in web pages or emails used to track whether a page or email was opened.
Pixel Tags
Similar to web beacons — small code snippets embedded in pages that allow third parties (like ad networks) to measure activity.
Local Storage
Browser-based storage that persists data locally on your device beyond a single session, often used for site preferences.
Session Storage
Similar to local storage but clears automatically when the browser tab or window is closed. Used for temporary session data.
Device Fingerprinting
Collects information about your browser, screen size, OS, and plugins to create a unique identifier without using cookies.
JavaScript Tags
Code executed by your browser that enables advanced tracking, analytics, and advertising functionality on web pages.
Throughout this policy, when we refer to "cookies" we mean all of these technologies collectively unless stated otherwise.
How We Use Cookies
We use cookies for several important purposes that help us operate our website effectively and provide you with a better experience. Specifically, cookies help us:
- Remember your preferences and settings so you do not need to re-enter them each visit
- Keep you logged in if you have an account or have accepted our cookie consent
- Understand how visitors use our site so we can improve its structure and content
- Measure the effectiveness of our content and identify which pages receive the most traffic
- Deliver relevant advertising through Google AdSense based on your browsing interests
- Prevent fraudulent activity and improve site security
- Enable certain essential features of the site, such as calculator state persistence
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations relating to user consent and data processing
- Analyze referral sources so we understand how users find USMC PFT Calculator
- Support social media sharing and integration features on certain pages
Important: We never use cookies to collect sensitive personal information such as financial details, passwords, or health data. Our cookies are limited to improving site functionality, analyzing usage, and supporting our advertising partnerships.
Types of Cookies We Use
Cookies can be categorized in different ways — by who sets them, how long they last, and what purpose they serve. Below is a comprehensive overview of every category of cookie used on USMC PFT Calculator.
By Party
First-Party Cookies
Set directly by usmcpftcalculator.org. These are used to remember your preferences, store calculator inputs, and track your session on our site. Only accessible by our domain.
Third-Party Cookies
Set by external services we use — such as Google (AdSense & Analytics). These cookies are governed by the privacy policies of the respective third parties, not solely by us.
By Duration
Session Cookies
Temporary cookies that exist only during a single browsing session. They are deleted automatically when you close your browser. Used for essential site functionality and short-term preference storage.
Persistent Cookies
Remain on your device for a set period (days, months, or years) or until manually deleted. Used for analytics, advertising, and remembering your consent preferences across visits.
By Purpose
Google AdSense & Advertising Cookies
USMC PFT Calculator displays advertisements through Google AdSense, a service provided by Google LLC. Google AdSense uses cookies and similar technologies to serve ads that are relevant to you based on your browsing history and interests.
How Google AdSense Uses Cookies: When you visit our site, Google may set one or more advertising cookies on your device. These cookies allow Google to recognize your browser across different websites and build a profile of your interests, which is then used to display more relevant ads — a process known as "interest-based advertising" or "personalized advertising."
Key Google Advertising Cookies
Opting Out of Personalized Google Ads
You can opt out of personalized advertising by Google at any time using the following options. Note that you will still see ads — they will simply be less relevant to your interests:
- Visit Google's Ad Settings at
adssettings.google.comto manage personalized ad preferences - Use the NAI Opt-Out Tool at
optout.networkadvertising.org - Use the DAA Opt-Out Tool at
optout.aboutads.info - Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on from Google's website
- Adjust your browser's privacy settings to block third-party cookies (see Section 10)
Google's use of advertising cookies is governed by the
Google Privacy Policy, available at policies.google.com/privacy.
We encourage you to review Google's privacy documentation to fully understand how your
data is used for advertising purposes.
EU/EEA Consent: For users in the European Economic Area, Google requires explicit consent before serving personalized ads. We display a cookie consent banner to collect this consent in compliance with the GDPR and Google's EU User Consent Policy.
Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to understand how visitors interact with USMC PFT Calculator. This service helps us measure traffic, identify popular content, and improve the overall user experience.
What Google Analytics Collects
Google Analytics collects the following types of information:
- Pages visited and the order in which they were visited
- Time spent on each page
- Links clicked and buttons interacted with
- Referring website or search query that brought you to our site
- Browser type, operating system, and device type
- Geographic location (country and city level — not precise location)
- Screen resolution and language settings
- Whether you are a new or returning visitor
IP Anonymization: We have enabled IP anonymization in Google Analytics. This means the last octet of your IP address is masked before any data is stored by Google, ensuring your precise location cannot be determined from your IP address alone.
Essential & Functional Cookies
Some cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function correctly. Without these cookies, certain features of USMC PFT Calculator — such as saving your calculator results or displaying the site correctly — would not work.
Cannot Be Disabled: Strictly necessary cookies cannot be disabled as they are essential for the site to function. Disabling them may cause parts of the website to stop working correctly. These cookies do not track you for advertising purposes and contain no personally identifiable information.
Third-Party Cookies
In addition to our own cookies, we allow third-party service providers to set cookies on your device when you visit USMC PFT Calculator. These third parties have their own privacy policies and cookie practices that govern how they use information collected through their cookies.
We do not control third-party cookies and are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of each third-party service listed below.
Google LLC
policies.google.com/privacyGoogle LLC
policies.google.com/privacyGoogle LLC
policies.google.com/privacyGoogle LLC
policies.google.com/privacyNote: We periodically review our third-party service providers and will update this list when we add or remove services that use cookies. If you notice a discrepancy or have a question about a specific cookie set on your device, please review the respective third-party's privacy policy.
Cookie Duration & Expiry
Cookies vary in how long they persist on your device. Understanding cookie duration helps you make informed decisions about managing cookies in your browser.
Session Cookies
Deleted when browser closes
Used for temporary data like calculator inputs and CSRF tokens.
Short-Term Cookies
1 day – 30 days
Used for analytics sessions (_gid) and preference storage.
Medium-Term Cookies
1 month – 6 months
Used for advertising frequency capping and some analytics tracking.
Long-Term Cookies
6 months – 2 years
Used for analytics user identification (_ga) and AdSense targeting.
You can view and delete individual cookies at any time through your browser's developer tools or privacy settings. See Section 10 for step-by-step instructions.
Your Consent & Cookie Choices
When you first visit USMC PFT Calculator, we display a cookie consent banner that
allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. Your consent preference is
saved in a first-party cookie (cookie_consent) for one year so we do
not repeatedly ask for your consent on every visit.
What Happens When You Accept All Cookies
If you click "Accept All," you consent to the use of all cookie categories described in this policy, including analytics and advertising cookies. This enables us to serve personalized ads through Google AdSense, collect detailed usage analytics, and deliver a fully personalized experience.
What Happens When You Decline Non-Essential Cookies
If you click "Decline" or "Essential Only," we will only set strictly necessary cookies. You will still see advertisements, but they will not be personalized. We will not collect detailed analytics data, and we will not use advertising cookies to track your browsing behavior.
Withdrawing Your Consent
You have the right to withdraw your cookie consent at any time. To do so, you can:
- Clear your browser cookies (which will reset the
cookie_consentflag, triggering the banner again on your next visit) - Use your browser's built-in cookie management tools to delete specific cookies
- Opt out of Google advertising via Google's Ad Settings (
adssettings.google.com) - Use the opt-out tools listed in Section 4 of this policy
Legal Basis for Processing: For users in the European Economic Area, our legal basis for setting non-essential cookies is your consent under Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. Strictly necessary cookies are set under our legitimate interests basis, as they are required for the site to function. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
How to Manage & Disable Cookies
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can configure your browser to refuse all cookies, accept only certain types, or delete cookies after each session. Below are instructions for managing cookies in the most popular browsers.
Google Chrome
Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → Choose your preferred cookie setting. You can also manage site-specific cookies from the same menu.
Mozilla Firefox
Options → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection. Set to "Custom" for granular control. Manage existing cookies under "Cookies and Site Data."
Apple Safari
Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data. Choose to block all cookies or only third-party cookies. Use "Manage Website Data" to delete specific cookies.
Microsoft Edge
Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data. Choose between "Block all cookies," "Block third-party cookies," or "Allow all cookies."
Opera
Settings → Advanced → Privacy & security → Site Settings → Cookies. Toggle third-party cookies and manage per-site cookie exceptions.
Brave Browser
Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies. Brave blocks third-party cookies by default. Adjust the Shields setting per site for more control.
Warning: Disabling all cookies may significantly affect the functionality of USMC PFT Calculator and many other websites. Some features — including our PFT and CFT calculators — may not work correctly if essential cookies are blocked. We recommend blocking only third-party or advertising cookies if you want to maintain full site functionality.
Mobile Devices
On mobile devices, you can manage cookies through your browser app's settings (the same approach as desktop browsers). Additionally, you can limit ad tracking at the operating system level:
- iOS (iPhone/iPad): Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → toggle off "Allow Apps to Request to Track"
- Android: Settings → Google → Ads → toggle "Opt out of Ads Personalization"
Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that sends a signal to websites requesting that your browsing activity not be tracked. Currently, there is no universally accepted standard for how websites must respond to DNT signals.
At this time, USMC PFT Calculator does not respond to browser Do Not Track signals. This is because there is no consistent industry standard for DNT compliance, and our analytics and advertising partners (primarily Google) do not universally honor DNT signals.
If you wish to prevent tracking, we recommend using the opt-out mechanisms described in Sections 4 and 10 of this policy, which provide more reliable and specific control over your data.
We will continue to monitor developments in DNT standards and update this policy if a clear, enforceable standard emerges that we can meaningfully implement.
Cookies & Children's Privacy
USMC PFT Calculator is intended for use by individuals who are interested in United States Marine Corps fitness standards, including active duty Marines, recruits, and fitness enthusiasts. Our site is not directed at children under the age of 13.
We do not knowingly use cookies to collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in certain EEA jurisdictions). If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information through cookie-based tracking, please review the opt-out mechanisms in Section 10 and consider configuring parental controls on your child's device.
In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we do not use cookies to collect behavioral data from users we know to be under 13 years of age, and we do not allow Google AdSense to serve personalized ads to children under 13.
GDPR & Your Rights (EEA Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and/or applicable national data protection laws grant you specific rights regarding the personal data collected through cookies.
Right to Access
You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you that was collected via cookies.
Right to Erasure
You may request deletion of cookie-related data we hold about you, subject to legal retention obligations.
Right to Restrict Processing
You can request we limit how we process data collected via analytics or advertising cookies.
Right to Data Portability
Where technically feasible, you may request cookie-derived data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to Object
You may object to the processing of your data for advertising or profiling purposes at any time.
Right to Withdraw Consent
You can withdraw consent for non-essential cookies at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.
To exercise any of these rights, or to raise a concern about how we process your
cookie data, you may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
A list of EEA supervisory authorities is available at
edpb.europa.eu.
CCPA Rights (California Residents)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with specific rights regarding the personal information collected through cookies on our site.
What We Collect
Through cookies, we may collect information that qualifies as "personal information" under the CCPA, including online identifiers (cookie IDs), IP addresses, browsing history on our site, and inferences drawn from this data for advertising purposes.
Your CCPA Rights
- Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information collected about you via cookies, the sources of that information, and the business purpose for collection.
- Right to Delete: You may request deletion of personal information collected via cookies, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to Opt Out of Sale: We do not "sell" personal information as traditionally defined. However, our use of Google AdSense may constitute a "sale" or "sharing" of data under CCPA's broad definitions. You may opt out via Google's Ad Settings or the NAI opt-out tool.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights. You will receive the same quality of service regardless of your cookie preferences.
- Right to Correct: You may request correction of inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by the CPRA through cookies.
Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update or modify this Cookie Policy at any time to reflect changes in our cookie practices, applicable law, or guidance from data protection authorities. When we make material changes to this policy, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Post a notice on our website informing users of significant changes
- Where required by law, re-request your consent for any new cookie categories we introduce
Your continued use of USMC PFT Calculator after any changes to this Cookie Policy constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.