Let us talk about cookies, it is not the baked one, it is one you often experience while visiting a website.
Have you visited a website and lately you noticed that the ads from the website following you around ? even popping up on your phone? That is one of the things cookies can do.
A cookie is usually a piece of information about you from a website that is stored with a web broswer that the website can use in later time.
Several times, they have been allegations of Facebook , and other social media platforms selling users information for other company to use, cookies are used to tell the servers that users have returned to a particular website.
Advertisers use cookies to track user activity across sites so they can better target ads. While this particular practice is usually offered to provide a more personalized user experience, some people also view this as a privacy concern.
Aside this data collection, cookies also help you reduce the stress of inputting information about you again when you visit a website ,When visitors revisit a website, a cookie supplies data and enables the site to showcase specific preferences and personalized content like items in a shopping cart, login details, and user preferences.
Type Of Cookies
Session cookie: Session cookies, also referred to as transient cookies or per-session cookies, are a type of cookie used in web browsing. These cookies have a specific purpose: to store temporary information while a user is actively visiting a website.
Persistent cookie: Persistent cookies are stored on a device for a designated period, lasting until their expiration or deletion. They are often referred to as tracking cookies, as they are employed to gather user data, including browsing patterns and preferences.
First-party and third-party cookies: First-party cookies are cookies established by the websites that users directly interact with. These cookies typically store information pertinent to the site, like user preferences or location data.
In contrast, third-party cookies accompany third-party elements, such as embedded videos, advertisements, web banners, and scripts, on the websites users visit. Advertisers frequently employ third-party cookies to monitor user behaviour.
Supercookies: also known as “zombie cookies” or “evercookies,” share similarities with session cookies as they track user behaviour and browsing history.
However, they possess a unique capability to reconstruct user profiles, even when regular cookies have been deleted. What sets them apart is their storage location, which differs from standard cookies, making them more challenging for average users to detect and remove.
Flash cookie: Flash cookies, also referred to as “local shared objects” (LSOs), are data files employed by websites that utilize Adobe® Flash® technology.
These files are stored on users’ computers and serve a similar purpose to browser cookies by retaining user information within Flash applications. In some cases, websites use Flash cookies as a backup mechanism when regular browser cookies are deleted, ensuring that user data persists across browsing sessions.
Beyond this type of cookie, you need to know that while cookies cannot carry or install malware onto computers, they can be exploited by cybercriminals for their malicious schemes.
What Can I do?
You can adjust the settings in your web browser to control cookies better. Cookies are small pieces of data websites use to remember you.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Delete and Manage Cookies: You can make your browser automatically remove cookies after a certain time or delete them manually. This helps keep your browsing information private.
- Enable Third-Party Cookie Blocking: You can also tell your browser to stop websites from using cookies from other companies (third parties) to track you. This adds a layer of privacy protection.
In simple terms, it’s like setting rules for your web browser to clean up cookies regularly and stop some cookies from following you around the internet. This way, you have more control over your online privacy.
Tweak built-in browser settings to delete and manage cookies, or enable third-party cookie blocking.
