Do you notice that whenever you visit a website, there will be cookie banners pop up immediately in front of your web browser? Most of the time we simply just click ‘accept’ and continue to scroll the other pages. So, what exactly are cookies?
Cookies are files that the websites you visit created. The purpose of a cookie is to give users an easier online experience by saving their browsing information. In short, websites installed with a cookie can keep you signed in, remember your site preferences, and give you locally relevant content. Hence, most websites will install a cookie because it is a way of developing a profile for a person. How does it work?
The cookies simply will keep track of each time a user visits a site, which includes what the users are searching for and capturing their purchase behavior and individual preferences. As result, it provides clear information about a person's online activity on the site they visited.
Well, have you realized your privacy has been exposed at this stage? Well, there are two types of cookies:
- 1. First-party cookies are created by the site you visit. The site is shown in the address bar.
- 2. Third-party cookies are created by other sites. These sites own some of the content, like ads or images, that you see on the webpage you visit.
Yes, you’re right! The scariest part is the third-party cookies whereby contain most of your personal profiling. Those data are easily stored, transferred, or sell to third-party companies for marketing advertising purposes. Here are the reasons why you should consider deleting cookies on your browser regularly:
Security Threat
Hackers can hack your network. They can also hijack your browsing cookies too. In such a way, this allows them to easily access your browser session and capture personal information from there.
The main purpose of having a cookie attached to your browser is because it helps you to remember the sites you have visited as well as purchases you make. Likewise, this hidden process allows the websites to track you to develop a more detailed profile of your online habits or target you with further marketing advertising. One good example: Think of Google, how Google tracks your interest and prompts you with your favorite ads.
Slow your system down
While browsing through your favorite websites, all the pages you visit will be stored on your hard drive. On subsequent visits, the web pages will load even faster because your data are captured during your last visit to the websites. However, over time you may accumulate a lot of cookies and this will in turn slow your system down.
What will happen if you clear all cookies on your browser?
If you remove cookies, you'll be signed out of websites and your saved preferences could be deleted.
On your computer, open Chrome.
- 1. At the top right, click More and then Settings.
- 2. Then, under "Privacy and security," click Cookies and other site data.
- 3. Click See all cookies and site data and then Remove all.
- 4. Finally, confirm by clicking Clear all.
