What Are Cookies?

In the digital age, our lives have become intertwined with the internet, and cookies have become an integral part of our online experience. And no, we aren’t talking about chocolate chip cookies – we’re talking about the data files that websites use.

Understanding what cookies are, the different types and the considerations involved in deciding whether to accept or deny them can help manage your sensitive data.

So, What Are Cookies?

Cookies, also known as internet cookies or browser cookies, are small text files of data that are stored on a user’s device after you visit a website. The term cookie was derived from an earlier programmed term “magic cookie,” which was a packet of data that was unchanged, even after being sent and received several times.

The data helps the website identify your device and improve your browsing experience by storing information about your visit, including:

• Your user ID
• Browsing history
• Preferences and settings
• Links visited
• Number of times a website is visited
• Time spent on a website
• Login credentials
• Location and IP address
• Phone number and address
• Shopping cart contents
• Items saved, bookmarked or viewed
• Past purchases

When you return to a website with stored cookies, the website can use the information in those cookies to provide a more personalized experience with selected settings and targeted content.

Read: A Deep Dive into Data Privacy

9 Types of Cookies

Different types of cookies are tasked with tracking certain aspects of your online behavior. Knowing the different types can help you choose which cookies to allow or deny.

1. Session cookies: The most common type of cookies are session cookies, which are temporary cookies that are erased when you close the web browser. Also known as transient cookies or per-session cookies, these store information while the user is visiting the site, and they are best known for allowing you to keep items in a shopping cart after clicking on a different page.
2. Persistent cookies: Also known as tracking cookies, these cookies track and collect user information like browsing habits, login credentials and preferences so you can have a personalized experience during subsequent visits. They are also used to build a profile on your search history so websites can recommend relevant products, services or content. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a specified period, even after you close the browser.
3. First-party cookies: These cookies focus on improving user experience by storing information relevant to the site that the users visit, like preferred settings or what you have viewed. They’re set by the website and are safer than third-party cookies.
4. Third-party cookies: Third-party cookies are the most controversial type regarding data privacy. External entities create these cookies and are most often sold to advertisers and analytics companies for tracking or personalization purposes. They track your movement over multiple websites to create a profile of your online behavior. They’re not a direct part of the website visited and are usually embedded in third-party content like advertisements, videos or web banners.
5. Zombie cookies: Also called supercookies or evercookies, these are a type of third-party cookie that is permanently installed on a device to track browsing histories. They create backup versions of themselves and regenerate after they are deleted, making them difficult to detect and remove.
6. Functionality cookies: These enhance a website’s performance and functionality. Some website features, like embedded videos or social media sharing, may not be available without the approval of functional cookies.
7. Essential cookies: These first-party cookies are necessary to run the website or services requested, and they typically don’t store personal information.
8. Performance cookies: These collect data about how the website is used to help the website gauge interactions, identify popular content and improve site performance.
9. Advertising cookies: Also called targeting cookies, these are the most intrusive cookies. They build a profile based on your interests and search history to then deliver targeted advertisements.

Should You Accept or Deny Cookies?

We’ve all seen that message: “Do you want to accept or deny cookies?”

Due to data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA, many websites must now ask permission to use certain cookies with your browser and provide information on how the cookies will be used. Know that by accepting cookies, you’re giving the website permission to install cookies on your device to record your actions and preferences.

The decision to accept or deny cookies depends on various factors; there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Knowing the implications or accepting or denying cookies empowers you to make an informed decision that aligns with your priorities and values:

• Privacy concerns: Cookies can track your online behavior, raising privacy concerns for users. Users also can’t control what the tracking services do with the data collected. If data privacy is a top concern, especially if you’re inputting credit card information, choose to deny cookies to limit the amount of data collected.
• Personalized experience: Cookies enable websites to provide a personalized experience by remembering your preferences and login information, which is particularly helpful when online shopping. Without cookies, your online experience may be less tailored, requiring you to manually input preferences and login credentials each time you visit a site.
• Functionality: Some websites, especially those with complex functionalities, may not work properly without functional or essential cookies. Accepting these cookies ensures smooth navigation and functionality.
• Third-party cookies: Some websites use third-party cookies for analytics, advertising and social media integration. Accepting these cookies may enhance the website’s features, but denying them can reduce the chances of data being sold to third parties. Note: Google is phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome by 2024.
• Security: Although cookies can’t infect your device with malware, cyber criminals can hijack them in transit and access your personal data. You also don’t want to accept cookies from unsecured and unencrypted websites; if the browser’s address doesn’t start with HTTPS or feature a padlock icon, don’t accept the cookies.

Many browsers have cookie management settings that allow you to control which cookies to accept or deny, giving you flexibility to tailor your preferences. You can also enable the Do Not Track feature in your web browser, which signals websites and apps not to track their online activities and that any tracking or cross-site user tracking must be disabled.