What Are Cookies, And What Are They For?

What Are Cookies, And What Are They For? Upon hearing this, a ” good cookie ” will come to mind, and if indeed they are, but in the computer field, this is not so sweet.

To use the Internet responsibly and have as much control over our data as possible, knowing what information we share with the websites we visit is essential.

When browsing the Internet, indeed, you have come across messages asking if you want to accept cookies, and first of all, you should know that the pages must inform the user of their cookie policy, how to accept them, and what it entails to do so.

Currently, websites use them, among other things, for advertising companies, for example, to spy on our tastes and better sell their advertising.

What Are Cookies?

They are data files that web pages send to computers when we visit, whether we do it from a mobile phone or from any other device, which will always request the storage of cookies.

Its primary purpose is identifying the user to store their activity history on specific websites.

In other words, and to make it easier to understand: when a user visits a web page for the first time, the browser saves a cookie with some information about him, and when he returns to the same page after a while, the server will request the same cookie. Configure and personalize the website according to the user’s characteristics, interests, and profile.

Cookies store different types of user information that must be anonymized.

In principle, they do not provide personal user data that may directly compromise their privacy, but it may contain information about:

• The pages we visit
• Connection hours
• Type of device from which we connect, model version, and resolution
• Configuration preferences

What Are They For?

They are essential on the Internet, and these files have many functions, mainly:

1. Improve the user experience and allow:

• Remember your login
• Track the user’s movements
• Show relevant content depending on the location
• Make the experience easier for the user
• Select preferences, themes, and other custom features.

2. Differentiate users: this information lets websites know if a specific user accessed it for the first time or is a returning user.
3. Advertising campaigns: companies in their advertising campaigns use third-party cookies to track users and thus direct their advertising according to visitor preferences.

Protect Us From Cookies.

Like everything related to Internet browsing and networks, it has risks. Following a series of tips can help us to be safe from cybercriminals.

Although they are not usually expected, they can occur, which is why some websites have begun to increase the protection and confidentiality of their users by blocking both permanent and third-party cookies.

• Modify the browser settings in this way to be able to control the information that cookies track.
• Clean or delete them. It is the simplest, deleting the browsing history and cookies when closing the session.
• Share in moderation, not entering personal data on sites where cookies can store them.
• Protect yourself and have a good security solution installed.
• Using Add-Ons, with this browser tool, we can activate only those we want to share our information with.

They are all simple steps that can avoid more than one scare on the network.

And you, what do you think about cookies? Are you a cautious user when you browse the Internet?

Also Read: What Can An Influencer Bring To Your Brand?