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It seems you can’t read an article, shop for socks online, or leave comments anymore without someone asking about your cookie preferences. Why are cookies a thing? Why do you need to accept them in the first place? Do you need to take extra care if you have high cholesterol? Get the scoop on everything digital cookie-related right here.
What Are Cookies?
Sadly, web cookies have nothing to do with dough or chocolate chips. Instead, they’re snippets of information created and stored through your browser. Their role is to make browsing more convenient for you by remembering your logins and shopping cart contents or displaying relevant ads.
How Do Cookies Work?
A lot goes on in the background each time you go to a website. First, your browser sends a request to the server that hosts it. The server then returns that site, which the browser then displays. Most of the time, the server will also include one or more cookies in the form of bite-sized text files.
Websites may ask you for preferences when you visit the first time. The most common include your login info, preferred language, location, whether you want dark mode on or off, etc. If the site sells something, it can also remember what you put into the shopping cart. Cookies specific to the page save this info so everything stays as you left it the next time you visit.
Are Cookies Dangerous?
Not on their own, but the info they collect could expose you to more risk. First-party cookies are the safest due to their limited scope. Third-party cookies cause more concerns.
Regularly clearing the browser cache results in random ads based on your location. However, it doesn’t take long for advertisers to get wind of your interests. If you visit a few blogs on camping or read some reviews on outdoor supplies, chances are you’ll start seeing ads for tents and canteens on sites that have nothing to do with such content.
Most people don’t appreciate random companies knowing about their interests and activities. More importantly, third-party cookies can provide enough information for hackers to piece your identity together if they ever get stolen due to a data breach.
If you want to be on the safe side, it’s best to use a VPN. They encrypt your internet connection and obscure your IP address, making it impossible for others to know what you do and where you’re from. That seriously limits cookies’ tracking abilities and ensures your browsing is private and protected from threats.
What Types of Cookies Are There?
Web cookies come in different flavors, depending on how you sort them.
Session cookies are active only while your session or visit lasts. They usually let the website owner know which links you clicked during your stay.
Persistent cookies remain on your device until they expire or you delete them manually. Without them, you’d have to type your username and password each time you return to a page.
The site you’re on needs first-party cookies to work properly. Some are essential cookies, meaning the website can’t display some elements or offer full functionality without them. Preference cookies do just what their name says – store your preferences.
Third-party cookies cause the most commotion since they come from an external source. Not all third-party cookies are equal. For example, it’s become popular for businesses to offer 24/7 customer support through chatbots. Other companies – third parties – provide these chatbots, and their cookies establish the link.
Marketing cookies are the most common third-party variety. Most web pages have reserved spaces that display the ads these cookies point to. Marketing cookies follow you around the internet and note your interests.
A Cookieless Future?
Any fears you might have about cookies should crumble soon. Various privacy laws already give you the power to opt out of tracking – hence the omnipresent annoying popups. Moreover, Google is working on ditching cookies by 2024, which would affect most internet users since Chrome and its derivatives are the most popular browsers. Practice safe browsing habits until then; cookies shouldn’t be a problem.
