What are cookies?
A cookie is a small piece of text sent to your browser by a website you visit. It helps the site remember information about your visit. In future interactions, the site will provide data according to that specific user's preference.
Cookies can be used to remember your preferred language, to make the ads seem more relevant, to count the number of visitors on a particular webpage. It also aids online brands in signing up users for their services.
Are you wondering what harm a harmless cookie may cause? Well, aside from increasing your calorie intake, the one in your kitchen won't do much. The second type is the one that concerns us: internet cookies.
Cookies act as a memory for a website. If you delete it, your browser will no longer remember you when you visit a website. It will also not provide any particular treatment.
Cookies are little text files that contain information about you. This information is used to recognize your machine as yours. It effectively gives your online persona a personality. A cookie, for example, can tell a website that you were looking to buy a phone based on your previous searches. It will also give you a rough idea of the pricing range you're looking for, you even the brands you prefer.
When you use a server, the data that is kept in a cookie is formed. It assigns you and even your machine a unique identity. The computer saves this information locally, and it recognizes you by a unique ID each time you visit the same website. The website then displays information that is relevant to you.
Why should I be interested in cookies?
You can skip this story if you live under a rock and don't have access to the internet. If not, you have interacted with cookies, whether directly or indirectly, regardless of how little internet you use. It makes surfing the internet on personal devices a lot easier. When you visit a new website, it is common for it to ask for your permission to accept cookies. You have the option of accepting or rejecting the offer.
Let's take these two scenarios and explain what happens
Accept
As soon as you consent, the website will begin collecting information about your movements within their domain. They will be able to see what page you are on, how much time you spend on each portion, and even where you exit. If you choose to join up for any of the website's services, it will even remember your user ID and password (with consent). Isn't it simpler to simply go to the sign-in page and click a button to log in? This is how a cookie can be of assistance to you. It assigns a unique ID to you and your laptop, phone, or desktop computer, and tells the website how to handle you.
There's a positive side to everything online, and there's a bad side to everything online. The good news is that accepting cookies makes accessing and departing websites and services nearly straightforward. You don't have to remember user IDs or passwords, you won't be bombarded with useless and spammy advertisements, and you could even receive the suggestions you were looking for.
Can cookies be bad?
Now for the awful news. A cookie can be likened to a two-edged sword. It can assist you in being lazy with passwords and user IDs, as well as find you those rare deals. However, in the wrong hands, it may be a source of misery.
Cookies aren't hazardous in and of themselves, and they can't be tampered with by a third party. If a computer is hacked, bad actors can obtain access to your browser history and other sensitive information stored in cookies and use it against you.
Now, on to the second scenario.
Reject
If you don't want to accept cookies. It's straightforward. The internet will bombard you with generic advertisements that may or may not be relevant. It will ask for your credentials every time you visit a specific website, but it will not track your internet behavior.
Although the user experience may not be as smooth as the developer would like, your data is safe and secure, and you will have complete control. It's entirely up to you.
In addition, you can erase existing cookies from your browser, which will have the same effect as refusing the request in the first place.
Google and Facebook have been Fined
Google and Facebook have been fined a sum of 210 million euros by a French govt agency, CNIL. According to the agency, these two websites have made it easy for the user to accept cookies. On the other hand, deleting cookies does take some effort. The user will have to enter the browser settings, look for 'privacy features' and then delete the cookies. The tech giants have been given a timeline of 3 months to provide a resolution for this issue.
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