Monotype

Overview

Monotype is a font technology company that provides web font delivery services through its cloud typography infrastructure. Web publishers embed Monotype scripts or CSS references to load licensed typeface families — including proprietary fonts from major type foundries — from Monotype's CDN. Monotype also powers font services used by enterprise design systems to maintain brand consistency across web and native applications.

What This Script Does

Cloud.Typography Font Kit

Publishers using Monotype's Cloud.Typography service embed a CSS link (cloud.typography.com/XXXXXX/XXXXXXXX/css/fonts.css) that triggers font file requests from Monotype's CDN. A companion JavaScript kit loader may also be included to support dynamic font subsetting or license validation.

Fonts.com Integration

The Fonts.com variant uses fast.fonts.net as the CDN endpoint. The JavaScript loader injects @font-face CSS declarations and performs domain-based license validation on each page load.

Cookies Set

• ki_t — Third-party persistent cookie on cloud.typography.com or fast.fonts.net. Records the first visit timestamp for license usage tracking. Duration: 1 year.
• ki_r — Third-party persistent cookie on the same CDN domain. Records the referring domain for license compliance. Duration: 1 year.
• cloud_typography_session — Third-party session cookie. Stores the font kit session context. Duration: session.

Domains Contacted

• cloud.typography.com — Primary CDN for Cloud.Typography font kit delivery.
• fast.fonts.net — Legacy Fonts.com CDN, used by older Monotype font kit implementations.
• fonts.monotype.com — API endpoint for dynamic font subsetting and enterprise font management.

Data Collected Per Interaction

• Requesting domain for license validation
• Browser user-agent string (for format selection)
• IP address (logged by CDN for compliance auditing)
• Font kit identifier and list of font files requested
• Request timestamps

Consent & Compliance

GDPR / ePrivacy: Monotype's font delivery sets third-party persistent cookies under its CDN domains. While font rendering is functional, the cookies used for license monitoring (ki_t, ki_r) are set by a third party and persist for one year. Under the ePrivacy Directive, third-party persistent cookies require prior consent regardless of stated purpose. The German DPA (DSK) and French CNIL have both published guidance that third-party font CDNs triggering network requests to third-party servers can violate GDPR if done without consent, since the user's IP address is disclosed to the CDN operator.

CCPA / CPRA: Monotype collects IP address and referrer data from CDN access logs. This is personal information under CCPA, but as a service provider it does not constitute a sale. Publishers must list Monotype in their vendor disclosures.

EU-US Data Privacy Framework: Monotype is certified under the EU-US DPF for personal data transferred from EU visitors to Monotype's US infrastructure.

Consent Category: Functional. Font rendering supports site presentation, not behavioral tracking.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

Conditional. The font rendering itself is functional and serves the user's experience. However, Monotype's CDN sets persistent third-party cookies and logs IP addresses, which several EU DPAs have found problematic without consent. The recommended approach is to self-host font files under a purchased web font license to eliminate all third-party CDN requests. If self-hosting is not possible, load the Monotype font kit after obtaining at least functional cookie consent.