What are Internet cookies and what are they for?

Cookies are present in internet browsing at all times, but many people do not know exactly what their function is. It’s normal for many websites to ask for permission to access cookies or even save information, so it’s important to understand how this works.

In this article we will talk about the importance of cookies, which are essential to make browsing more fluid and personalized, as well as their types and even their security. Understanding how this process works is a great path to safer and more informed browsing.

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What are Internet cookies?

The first step is to understand what cookies are. They are small text files that are stored on the user’s computer or even in the browser, and which have unique information about access to a website in order to identify the device on a network.

In other words, when you access a website, it sends a cookie with some access information to the browser, which in turn stores the cookie in a specific folder on your computer, where it can access it whenever you need it. So the next time you access that website, the browser itself goes to the folder and takes back the cookies to recognize that user and already know the information passed on from the previous visit.

Cookies store information such as identification (login and password, for example), user name, address or email, as long as the user has already provided this information during one of their visits.

But in practice, what are they for? Let’s check it out!

What are they for?

Cookies have the main objective of simplifying website navigation and making it more fluid, efficient and personalized. By storing this information that can be accessed every time you enter a website, that website can already remember your credentials, so you are already logged in, which prevents you from having to write your username and password each time you access it.

In addition, cookies also help to remember your access preferences and previous settings, such as the type of display on a website or even the preference for a language at that specific address. Another example is on shopping websites, when you choose a product and put it in the cart but don’t finish it. These are the cookies that guarantee that, the next time you enter the website, that product will still be in your cart, avoiding having to do a new search.

Another function of cookies is tracking, which is the most “controversial” in this case. This is because some cookies record users’ activities on websites and send this information to the server that originated the cookie. Therefore, some advertising services may have access to these cookies to display more relevant advertisements to each person based on their browsing history.

In other words, this is why when you visit a website looking for a blender, for example, you will usually see ads for other blenders on other websites.

Types of Cookies

Cookies can be classified into different categories based on their function and origin.

Os first party cookies are created by the website that the user is accessing directly and are generally used to remember preferences and improve navigation.

Already the third-party cookies are more controversial as they are used by advertisers and other services to track user behavior across various websites.

There are also the session cookieswhich are temporary and disappear when you close the browser, and persistent cookieswhich remain active for long periods and are used to remember logins and preferences.

Another important type are essential cookiesnecessary for the basic functioning of a website, while the zombie cookiesin turn, are known to reinstall themselves even after being deleted, raising security concerns.

After all, are they safe?

Cookies from trusted and legitimate websites are mostly safe and designed to improve the user experience. They cannot install malicious software or access sensitive data on the device. However, third-party cookies used by advertising companies can raise privacy concerns as they track user behavior across different websites without your explicit consent.

A particularly worrying type are zombie cookies, which automatically reinstall themselves even after being deleted, making them difficult to remove. Additionally, cookies can be the target of cyber attacks such as impersonation, also known as “cookie poisoning.”

Fortunately, laws such as the European Union’s ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) emerged precisely to regulate the use of cookies. These laws require websites to obtain informed consent from users before using cookies that are not essential to the website’s functioning. This means that users must be informed about how cookies will be used and have the option to agree or not to their use.

As a result, many websites now display cookie banners that allow users to review and control tracking settings, which helps bring greater transparency and privacy protection online. This way, with these regulations and consent practices, users can make more informed decisions about the data they share on the web.

Fonte: allaboutcookies