Cookie Policy

Lynx (“we,” “our,” or “us”) uses cookies and similar browser-storage technologies to operate the Lynx platform (available at lynx.community). This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which cookies we set, why we set them, and how you can control them. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which describes how we handle personal data more broadly.

Cookies help us keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and ensure the platform works securely and reliably. Because Lynx is currently focused on providing a stable, authenticated experience for the Vanderbilt university community, the cookies we use today are limited strictly to what is necessary for authentication and session management. We do not currently use advertising cookies or behavioral tracking cookies.

By using Lynx, you acknowledge the use of the essential cookies described in this policy. Because these cookies are strictly necessary for the platform to function, they cannot be disabled without preventing you from signing in.

A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit. Your browser sends the cookie back to the website on subsequent requests, allowing the site to recognise you and maintain continuity across page loads. Cookies are distinct from other browser-storage mechanisms such aslocalStorageandsessionStorage, which also store data locally but are never automatically transmitted to the server in HTTP headers.

Cookies can be classified in two ways. By origin: first-party cookies are set by the domain you are visiting (in this case, lynx.community), while third-party cookies are set by a different domain, typically a service the site embeds. By lifespan: session cookies exist only for the duration of your browser session and are deleted when you close your browser, while persistent cookies have an expiry date and remain on your device until that date or until you delete them.

Cookies may also carry security attributes. HttpOnly cookies cannot be read by JavaScript running on the page, which protects them from cross-site scripting attacks. Secure cookies are only transmitted over HTTPS connections, preventing interception over unencrypted channels. SameSite controls whether a cookie is sent with cross-site requests, reducing exposure to cross-site request forgery. The authentication cookies Lynx uses carry all three of these protections where possible.

Lynx currently sets only essential, authentication-related cookies through Clerk, our identity and authentication provider. These cookies are required for you to sign in and stay signed in; without them the platform cannot verify your identity between page loads. There are no analytics, advertising, or preference-tracking cookies set at this time.

Essential / Authentication Cookies

The following cookies are set by Clerk on the lynx.community domain when you sign in. They contain cryptographically signed tokens and do not store personally identifiable information in readable form.

Local Storage (Not Cookies)

Lynx uses the browser’s localStorage API — not cookies — to persist lightweight UI state such as onboarding progress and interface preferences. Because localStorage data is never transmitted to our servers in HTTP requests, it falls outside the regulatory definitions of a “cookie” under most privacy laws. You can clear this data at any time through your browser’s developer tools or storage settings; doing so will reset UI preferences but will not affect your ability to sign in.

Analytics Cookies

Lynx does not currently use any analytics services (such as Google Analytics or Mixpanel) that set cookies. No analytics cookies are present on the platform as of the effective date of this policy. If we introduce analytics in the future, we will update this policy and provide appropriate disclosure before those cookies are set.

While Lynx does not work with advertising networks or behavioral-data brokers, a small number of third-party services involved in delivering the platform may set or interact with cookies.

Clerk— Our authentication provider, Clerk, sets the cookies described in Section 3 on the lynx.community first-party domain on our behalf. Clerk does not set cookies on its own domain (clerk.com) that would persist across your browser session on Lynx. Clerk’s handling of data is governed by their own Privacy Policy.

Vercel— Lynx is hosted on Vercel’s edge network. Vercel may set short-lived, technical cookies to support edge routing, protection features such as bot mitigation, and infrastructure-level performance optimisation. These cookies do not contain personal information and are used solely to serve the application reliably. For more information, see Vercel’s Privacy Policy.

Lynx does not integrate with any advertising networks, social media pixel trackers, or data-broker services. No cookies from Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, or similar platforms are present on our site.

You can view, block, and delete cookies at any time through your browser’s settings. Because all cookies currently set by Lynx are essential for authentication, blocking or deleting them will prevent you from signing in or staying signed in. Clearing cookies will sign you out of your current session; you can sign back in immediately afterward.

Instructions for managing cookies in common browsers are provided below. Steps may vary slightly depending on your browser version.

Google Chrome

Open the Chrome menu (three dots, top right) and choose Settings. Navigate to Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data. To view or delete cookies for a specific site, click See all site data and permissions, search for lynx.community, and select Delete. You can also open DevTools (F12), go to the Application tab, and expand Storage → Cookies to inspect individual cookies.

Safari

Open Safari → Settings (or Preferences on older macOS). Click the Privacy tab, then Manage Website Data… to search for and remove data stored by lynx.community. On iOS, go to Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data to locate and delete site-specific cookie data.

Mozilla Firefox

Open the Firefox menu (three lines, top right) and choose Settings → Privacy & Security. Scroll to the Cookies and Site Data section and click Manage Data…. Search for lynx.community and click Remove Selected. To inspect live cookies, open DevTools (F12), go to the Storage tab, and expand the Cookies entry.

Microsoft Edge

Open the Edge menu (three dots, top right) and choose Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and data stored. Click See all cookies and site data, search for lynx.community, and delete the associated entries. Edge also supports inspection via DevTools (F12) under the Application → Storage → Cookies panel.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time as the platform evolves. In particular, we anticipate that we may introduce first-party analytics in the future to understand how the Lynx community uses the platform and where we can improve it. If we do so, we will revise this policy to identify the specific analytics technology, the cookies or identifiers it sets, and the data it collects, and we will update the effective date at the top of this page.

Material changes — for example, introducing advertising cookies or sharing cookie data with third parties for marketing purposes — will be communicated to registered users by email and/or through a prominent notice on the platform before the change takes effect. We will always obtain any legally required consent before deploying new cookie categories.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Your continued use of Lynx after an update to this policy constitutes your acknowledgment of the revised terms, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

If you have questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy or about how Lynx handles data stored in your browser, please contact us at:

We will do our best to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within a reasonable timeframe. If your question relates to authentication cookies specifically and you are experiencing trouble signing in, please also check our Privacy Policy for broader information about how we handle your personal data.