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1. Introduction

This cookie policy is intended to inform  visitors of our US-website (www.bd.com/US) of how and why cookies are used by Becton, Dickinson, and Company (BD).

The entity responsible for the use of these cookies is:

Becton, Dickinson and Company Headquarters

1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey 07417-1880 USA

You can contact us via email privacy@bd.com.

At BD we aim to provide transparency into how we process your personal data. This policy provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the cookies used on our website, their purposes, and the reasoning behind this. To obtain more information about this cookie policy, please contact us via privacy@bd.com.

Additionally, we invite you to read our Privacy Statement, in which we explain our commitment to protecting your personal data.

2. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files, which can be stored on your computer upon your visit to websites. Cookies usually have an expiration date. They can perform different functions but typically keep a record of websites visited.

Your internet browser downloads a cookie on the first visit to a website. The next time you visit the website with the same user device, this cookie as well as all the information stored in it will be resent to the website, which created it (first-party cookie). However, there is a possibility this information to be sent to another website managing it (third-party cookie).

This allows the website to recognize your browser and to remember your preferences, for example, your language preference, for later website visits, providing you in this way with more relevant content to your personal interests and needs.

Overall, cookies help us to improve user experience and enable us to improve the performance of the website.

3. Who Installs Cookies?

Cookies can be installed by BD or a third party:

4. How Long do Cookies Last?

Cookies can be temporary or persistent:

  • Temporary or session cookies are temporarily stored in your computer or mobile device. As soon as you close your browser, these cookies are automatically deleted;
  • Persistent cookies remain on your device for a longer time, even after you close your browser. They remain on your device until the expiration date  is reached and then a new version of the cookie is installed, or until you delete them manually. They make it possible to recognize you during a subsequent visit to the website.

 

The duration depends on the purpose for which certain types of cookies are installed in your computer. For example, a session cookie may be used to allow visitors to be recognized within a set of webpages, so that any choices or data selection made by that user are remembered from page to page.

In another example, a persistent cookie may be used to remember your previous choice of language whenever you return to the same webpage.

Regardless of the purpose behind each specific cookie, BD takes into account the principle of data minimization when setting this duration. This means that, whenever possible, BD will opt for the shortest possible duration that still enables the function of the cookie to be performed.

5. For which Purposes are Cookies used by BD?

BD uses cookies to make this website work smoothly. For example, we use cookies to make it more user friendly by remembering your preferences, and providing you with information that we think is of interest and useful for you based on your past navigation.

Furthermore, we collect data recorded by cookies to draw up anonymous, aggregated statistics or studies for BD websites and to ensure that its content and performance is relevant to our visitors.

6. What Kind of Cookies are Used by BD?

Cookies can be described based on their function and intended purposes. Some cookies are considered essential to your navigation, while others are performance-measuring cookies. You can also have cookies of a functional nature, or cookies that collect data for marketing purposes.

The types of cookies used by BD Website are the following:

  • Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
  • Performance Cookies: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and  cannot identify you directly. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
  • Functional Cookies: These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
  • Targeting Cookies: These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal data , but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
  • Social Media Cookies: These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
7. Opt-Out

You may opt out of the use of cookies in the Privacy Preference Center that you can reach by clicking on “Privacy Settings” on the banner that appears when you first visit our Site.  Please note that it is not possible to opt out of the use of Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are integral to the functionality of our Site. 

When you opt-out, we will stop serving you targeted ads based on the data collected via your browser. We will place in your browser’s cookie an amount of data telling us that you have opted-out of  receiving cookies without archiving any other data with regard to you. We need this residual data to ensure our website no longer collects information about your interests. If you have previously opted in there will be residual cookies that you will need to delete. Please see section 8 for help.

8. How to Manage and Delete Cookies?

You can manage and/or delete cookies if you desire to do so. For more information on the practical implications of changing cookie settings, you can consult this external page: https://www.allaboutcookies.org/

In principle, web browsers are automatically configured to accept cookies. Nevertheless, you can configure your browser in a way that it informs you of each cookie sent, or to avoid them being stored on your hard drive. To better understand these parameters, please consult the following external pages:

 

When you choose to refuse cookies, we cannot guarantee the full experience of our website. This means that refusal could render the website less user-friendly or it is running at reduced speed.