You may have heard of “Cookies,” also known as cookies, but you do not know their functions or characteristics. This article will explain what Cookies are and why they are relevant.
And it is that this kind of file that stores information is one of the reasons why every time we enter a web page, the webmaster asks us for permission in the form of a question to install cookies in our browser and obtain information about our actions.
To know what Cookies are, you must first understand what they are, what information they obtain, but above all, why they are collected and in what way, since although it may not seem like it, the Internet has rules that must respect and cookies help us to fulfill them.
What are cookies?
Cookies or computer cookies are small computer files stored in the user’s browser, storing information about the uses and preferences when you connect to a website, such as the time of connection and the default browser you use. Still, it also helps save useful information for the user, such as filling in access forms and the like.
When entering a site for the first time, you may find a form in a question that encourages you to accept cookies to continue browsing. If the website in question asks you the following question:
Why are cookies NOT dangerous?
The information collected by the pages is sent to the owner of the web domain to which we access. If we enter a website for the first time, it will ask us if we accept cookies. We should not be afraid to accept as cookies are not dangerous.
Cookies are not dangerous because the information they collect is designed to customize the web page to fit your needs and behavior. For example, customization cookies allow you to access general features such as the language, general settings that affect the display and keyboard, and the kind of browser you use.
In addition, cookies must comply with the law, so their implementation is mandatory. Still, they help the user better navigate the web by saving information that creates a profile that facilitates navigation. On the other hand, we can always delete cookies each time we end our default browser session or delete them from time to time.
And it is that although these files store relevant information for the user, it is not about specific personal information, such as the name, surnames, or the address of your email. Still, it is about the type of browser you use, the language in the one you write, what is the operating system you drive, and similar things.
Finally, you can delete the cookies at any time, which guarantees the non-dangerous nature of this small file. And it is that until not long ago, people thought that cookies were a kind of malicious file. Used them for advertising purposes, that they generated pop-up windows, or even that they were some spyware or worm-type virus.
For your peace of mind, cookies consist only of data; they are not coded and much less. They cannot delete the information from our computer, telephone, or device from which we connect or access our internal information. Cookies create a profile with the information they collect, and these user profiles are anonymous.
How many kinds of Cookies are there?
- Depending on its purpose (promotion, analysis, or personalization)
- Depending on how long they are active (one session, permanent).
- Depending on the entity managing them (the page owner, third parties, web browsers such as Google to perform web analytics in Google Analytics), cookies can be a great way to improve your experience on the Internet.
There are other classifications of cookies:
- Technical cookies. They refer to the use of security elements, content storage for videos or sound, or login identification.
- Personalization cookies, referring to language, browser, etc.
- Analysis cookies. They are used to know the connection time and the time spent on the page.
- Advertising Cookies. They are those cookies referring to the advertising section, such as the Google AdWords ads that they show us on the pages.
- Behavioral advertising cookies. This information records behavior patterns through continuous observation of a website.
- Third-party cookies.
Finally, there are other kinds of cookies,
- secure cookies: save encrypted information on HTTPS connections
- zombie cookies: they are saved internally, but not externally, that is, in the browser.
Why are cookies important and necessary?
They facilitate navigability
Cookies help us store small data that helps us connect. Although they seem dangerous and generate certain suspicions, they facilitate access to certain personalization services such as the user’s start and facilitate navigation. A simple example is to remind us of a purchase that we did not make when entering an online store when saving the order in the shopping cart.
The problem with this system is that it is not entirely secure, and the best thing would be to create a random tracking cookie and then use it as a reference point on the server.
Customize preferences
Another reason cookies are important is that they allow a site to personalize itself, such as with a login verification and login sequence.
But there are other reasons, such as remembering accesses through a combination of computer-browser-user use.
And it is that, as we mentioned before, cookies establish patterns; they do not collect personal information.
Although cookies establish behavioral habits, this can be a problem and lead to a conflict with privacy. We can exercise our rights of access, rectification, opposition, deletion (“right to Forgotten”), treatment limitation, and portability and not be subject to individualized decisions. And it is worth remembering that we have the right to delete, that is, to oblivion by requesting it on any page we access.
In addition, you can choose to delete existing cookies, allow or block all cookies, or set preferences for specific websites. It depends on you!
How to delete cookies?
In short, cookies are small files that collect information but are not personal. All pages must have a legal section explaining their operation, and we have the right to treat them. In addition, they are not dangerous, and we can delete them whenever we want.
As we told you at the beginning of what cookies are, these computer files are stored in the browser, and each browser has a method for you to delete cookies.
Here we give you the links so you can delete cookies depending on the browser you use:
It’s easy; follow the instructions and delete them whenever you want. You decide if you wish to them permanent or session only!
I hope that this article has clarified your doubts on the subject of cookies and that the next time you accept them, you decide based on the use you want to give them!!
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