Cookie Policy
Effective Date: April 20, 2026
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, phone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, remember your preferences, and provide information to site owners. Cookies cannot execute programs or deliver viruses to your device.
2. How We Use Cookies
TorSentinel uses cookies primarily for functional and security purposes. We keep our cookie usage minimal — consistent with our privacy-first approach. We do not use advertising cookies or sell your data to third parties.
Cookies we set may be:
- Session cookies — Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser
- Persistent cookies — Cookies that remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them
- First-party cookies — Set directly by TorSentinel on our domain
- Third-party cookies — Set by external services we use (see Section 5)
3. Categories of Cookies We Use
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be disabled. They include:
- Session management — Keeps you logged in during your visit
- Security tokens — CSRF protection to prevent cross-site request forgery
- Authentication state — Remembers that you are authenticated after login
- Cookie consent — Records your cookie preferences
3.2 Functional Cookies
These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may include:
- Language & region preferences — Remembers settings you have chosen
- Dashboard preferences — Saves your display and notification settings
- Last-seen state — Helps resume where you left off in the dashboard
3.3 Analytics Cookies
We use minimal, privacy-respecting analytics to understand how visitors use our site. If analytics are enabled, they operate without storing personally identifiable information.
- Aggregate page view counts and traffic sources
- General device type and browser information
- No cross-site tracking or fingerprinting
4. Specific Cookies We Set
| Cookie Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
ts_session |
Strictly Necessary | Maintains your authenticated session | Session |
ts_csrf |
Strictly Necessary | CSRF security token for form submissions | Session |
ts_remember |
Functional | Keeps you logged in across browser sessions if "Remember me" is selected | 30 days |
ts_prefs |
Functional | Stores your dashboard display preferences | 1 year |
ts_cookie_consent |
Strictly Necessary | Records your cookie consent decision | 1 year |
ts_scan_token |
Strictly Necessary | Ties free scan sessions to your browser for result retrieval | Session |
5. Third-Party Cookies
Some pages may include content or services from third parties that set their own cookies. These may include:
Payment Processors
- Stripe — Used for card payment processing. Stripe may set cookies related to fraud prevention and payment security. See Stripe's Cookie Policy.
- BiglyPay — Our cryptocurrency payment gateway. Minimal session cookies for transaction state only.
Content Delivery
- Cloudflare — We use Cloudflare for security and performance. Cloudflare may set
__cflbandcf_clearancecookies for bot protection and load balancing. See Cloudflare's Cookie Policy.
6. Cookies and Your Privacy
Consistent with our Privacy Policy, we do not use cookies to:
- Track your browsing activity across other websites
- Build advertising profiles or sell your data
- Monitor, log, or inspect your torrent activity or VPN traffic
- Identify you by name without your explicit input
Strictly necessary cookies are used solely to deliver the functionality of the Service. All other cookies are used only where you have given consent or where a legitimate interest applies.
7. Managing & Disabling Cookies
You have several options to control cookies:
Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to view, manage, block, or delete cookies through their settings. Instructions for common browsers:
Opt-Out Tools
- For analytics opt-out, contact us at [email protected]
- For Cloudflare-related cookies, see Cloudflare's Cookie Policy
- For Stripe-related cookies, see Stripe's Cookie Policy
8. Do Not Track
Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal to websites. TorSentinel honours the spirit of DNT — we do not engage in cross-site tracking regardless of whether a DNT signal is received. Our strictly necessary and functional cookies are not affected by DNT signals as they are required for the Service to operate.
9. Cookies for the Free Scan Tool
Our free Torrent IP Check tool uses a short-lived session cookie (ts_scan_token) to associate your browser with the unique test torrent session. This cookie contains only a random session identifier — no personal information — and expires when you close your browser. No account or login is required to use the free scan tool.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or our practices. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised Effective Date. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.
11. Legal Basis (EEA / UK Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, our legal basis for using cookies is as follows:
- Strictly necessary cookies — Legitimate interest / contractual necessity to provide the Service
- Functional cookies — Your consent, or our legitimate interest in providing a consistent user experience
- Analytics cookies — Your consent, obtained via our cookie banner