What a cookie is
A cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in your browser when you visit almost any website. It allows the website to remember your visit the next time you browse that page. Eventhought many people do not know, the cookies have been in use for 20 years, since the first browser for the World Wide Web.
What a cookies is not
A cookie is not a virus, not a trojan, not a worm, not spam, not spyware.
What a cookie stores
Cookies usually don’t store sensitive data about you, such as credit card, bank account information, photos, your ID or personal information, etc.. The data stored are technical, personal preferences, content personalization, etc..
The web server does not associate you as a person, but your web browser. In fact, if you surf regularly with Internet Explorer and try to browse the same site with Firefox or Chrome you will see that the web does not realize that you are the same person because cookies are linked to the browser, not the person.
Types of cookies
- Technical Cookies : They are the most basic ones and allow to know, among other things, whether a person or an automated application is browsing, when a registered user navigates… basic tasks for running any dynamic web.
- Analytical Cookies: They collect information on the type of navigation being carried out, the most visited sections, viewed products, use, time, language, etc.
- Advertising Cookies: The show advertising based on your browsing, your country of origin, language, etc.
What own and third-party cookies are
Own cookies are those generated by the pagen itself you are visiting, and the third-part cookies are generated by external service suppliers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc..
Consequences of disabling cookies
Some examples:
- You wouldn’t be able to share the content of this site on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network.
- The website wouldn’t be aple to personalize the content to the user preferences.
- You wouldn0t be able to access this site personal area, such as My Account, or My Profile or My orders.
- Shopping online: It would be impossible to shop online.
- It wouldn’t be possible to customize your geographic preferences, time zone, currency or language.
- The website wouldn’t be able to perform web analytics about visitors and web traffic.
- You wouldn’t be able to write on the blog, upload photos, post comments, evaluate or rate content… The webpage would not know whether you are a human or an automated application that publishes spam.
- No personalized advertising would be shown, thereby reducing the web advertising revenue.
Can cookies be removed?
Yes. Not only removed but also blocked in general or for a particular domain.
To remove cookies from a website you should go to your browser settings and proceed with removal.
Control cookies by adjusting your browser settings
In the next links you can find details on how to change your settings in most major browsers.
Chrome: Settings
Firefox: Settings
Internet Explorer: Settings
Safari (OS X): Settings
Safari (iOS): Settings
Androdid: Settings
