Internet 101: Cookies
Hey there, internet user! How often do you browse the web? This, of course, is a rhetorical question. Which isn’t one though, is are you a conscious web surfer? If you’re not sure, then welcome to class :) My name is Daria and I’m a software developer with a passion to write, so I’ll be happy to share my knowledge with you and make your internet presence safer.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Cookies — how many times have you visited a website and the first thing you saw was “We are using cookies: accept or click this link to learn more about our privacy policy”? And have you ever clicked the link?
So what does it mean to use cookies?
Cookies are small amounts of data that are sent by websites to your browser and saved on your computer.
What is this data?
Basically just information about your presence on the website: some fields you entered, buttons you clicked, searches you conducted, pages you navigated between etc.
Why is this data needed?
Well, this data can be used for different purposes. Personalized content depending on, for example, your location or language, remembering your data for your next authorization so you don’t need to enter it manually every time etc. It can also be used for the contextual ads, like when you just googled sneakers and then they’re all over your Instagram (had this ever happened to you?). Or for less innocent things like manipulating prices, for example, if today you looked up tickets to Spain and they were one price, the very next day price may go up for no particular reason.
Usually thought the data IS innocent and used to make life easier for no other than you, but it definitely not always this way, so be aware of the websites you browse and always keep in mind that there is no such thing as anonymity on the internet (if we aren’t talking about deep web, but that’s a whole different topic).
To see what information about your browsing is saved (example in Google Chrome): Settings -> Advanced -> Content settings -> Cookies -> See all cookies and site data. There you can search by name etc.
By the way, cookies can and should be cleared. This depends on the browser settings, so google it for your favorite browser and do this occasionally. And browse incognito when planning your next trip :) Browse safely!
I hope this article was useful and feedback is always welcome :)
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