What Are Cookies?

What Is a Cookie?

Cookies are usually small text files, given ID tags that are stored on your computer’s browser hard drive.

Cookies are created when you use your browser to visit a website that uses cookies to keep track of your movements within the site, help you resume where you left off, remember your registered login, theme selection, preferences, and other customization functions.

The website stores a corresponding file (with same ID tag) to the one they set in your browser and in this file they can track and keep information on your movements within the site and any information you may have voluntarily given while visiting the website.

What are they used for?

Cookies are often indispensable for websites that have huge databases, need logins, have customizable themes, among other advanced features.

And My Personal Information?

Cookies usually don’t contain much information except for the url of the website that created the cookie, the duration of the cookie’s abilities and effects, and a random number. Due to the little amount of information a cookie contains, it usually cannot be used to reveal your identity or personally identifying information. However, marketing is becoming increasingly sophisticated and cookies in some cases can be agressively used to create a profile of your surfing habits.

Types of Cookies

There are two types of cookies: session cookies, and persistent cookies.

Session cookies are created temporarily in your browser’s subfolder while you are visiting a website. Once you leave the site, the session cookie is deleted.

On the other hand, persistent cookie files remain in your browser’s subfolder and are activated again once you visit the website that created that particular cookie. A persistent cookie remains in the browser’s subfolder for the duration period set within the cookie’s file.