“Cookies” are small text files that may be placed on your Web browser when you visit our Web sites or when you view advertisements we have placed on other Web sites. The information derived from cookies is used for administrative purposes, to help us gauge the effectiveness of advertising efforts, and to improve your experience with our Web sites. For example, this information may help authenticate you (i.e., verify that you are who you say you are), an essential component of site security. Cookies also make it easier for you to navigate a Goldman Sachs Web site by, among other things, “remembering” your identity so that you do not have to input your password multiple times as you move between pages or services. Cookies also may be used to serve you Goldman Sachs advertisements when you visit Web sites of third parties with whom we have marketing relationships. You can set your Web browser to inform you when cookies are set, or to prevent cookies from being set. However, if you decline to use cookies, you may experience reduced functionality and, for sites serving authentication-related cookies, declining cookies will prevent you from using the Web site altogether.
“Clickstream” data (e.g., information regarding which of our Web pages you access, the frequency of such access, and your product and service preferences) may be collected by Goldman Sachs itself, or by our service providers, using cookies, Web beacons, page tags, or similar tools that are set when you visit our Web site or when you view an advertisement we have placed on another Web site. Clickstream data and similar information may be shared internally within Goldman Sachs and used: for administrative purposes; to assess the usage, value and performance of our online products and services; to improve your experience with our Web sites; and as otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulation. This information may be processed by us for the purposes described above, or on our behalf by third parties, solely in accordance with our instructions.
When you visit this site, your browser may be momentarily directed to the Web site of an ad server or other third party service provider. This re-direction process will not be apparent to you. These third party Web sites automatically receive your IP address when this happens, and they may also collect information from your interaction with our Web sites including computer and connection information, standard Web log information, and ad information. Such information does not identify you individually.