European Union law requires websites to explain to their visitors what the use of Cookies is for. If you are wondering What are cookies? and what’s the fuss about it GhienCongListen will answer in the article below.
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What are cookies?
What are cookies? Are text files containing small data samples such as usernames and passwords, user IDs, website settings. It is stored on your computer and labeled with a unique identifying ID. The next time you visit the website again, the previous settings or login information will be retrieved from the Cookie on your computer without waiting for download from the server, you do not need to re-enter the information. login account for the next login, improve your browsing experience.
With some variations, Cookies used in the website are divided into 2 main categories:
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- Session Cookie or Session Cookie is a type of Cookie that is not stored locally in memory, only temporarily stored in random access memory (RAM). When a web session ends from you turning off the page or going to another page, the Cookie will also be automatically deleted.
- A persistent cookie is permanently stored on local storage, although there are still types that have a lifetime and are automatically deleted when the expiration date expires.
The persistent Cookie has 2 main purposes used:
- Authentication: This cookie keeps track of whether the user has used the username to visit that website, thereby helping the user to remember the username and password for each visit to the website again without having to do so. re-login.
- Tracking: These Cookies track multiple visits to the same website over time. For example, some online stores use cookies to track visits from specific users, including pages and products viewed. The information they obtain allows them to recommend other products that may interest users. Gradually, a profile is built based on the browsing history of the user on that site.
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What are cookies used for?
Websites use Cookies to enhance the user’s browsing experience. Without Cookies, you will have to re-login your account each time you leave that website. For online shoppers, the cart will no longer store any items when you accidentally close that website and that is really a bad thing.
Cookies are stored right on your computer so it benefits web developers in terms of server construction and maintenance costs. Get a fast browsing experience without having to wait too long for a response from the server.
Why Cookies Can Be Dangerous
Since the data in the Cookie does not change, the Cookie itself is not harmful. They cannot infect viruses or other malware on the computer. However, some cyberattacks can hijack cookies and allow access to your browsing sessions. The danger lies in the ability to track the user’s browsing history from Cookies.
The Real Threat of Third Party Cookies
Some cookies may contain more threats than others depending on where they come from.
- First-party cookies are generated directly by the website you are using. These sites are generally safer, as long as you’re browsing reputable sites or those that haven’t been compromised or hijacked by bad actors.
- Third-party cookies are more of a hassle. They are created by websites other than the ones the user is currently surfing, usually because they are created by pages that link to advertisements on the page being surfed.
Visiting a website with 10 ads can generate 10 cookies, even if the user never clicks on those ads. Third-party cookies allow advertisers or analytics companies to track an individual’s browsing history on any website that contains their ads.
Facebook and Google are giants in the technology industry that use Cookies to personalize ads for each user. It sometimes brings discomfort from targeted advertising, when personal information or interests are commercialized and redeemed.
The fact that Google Chrome prevents third-party Cookies is a lifesaver for users or just a delicious piece of cake.
As planned in future updates of Google Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser will prevent third party Cookies. Making it a lot harder to track the browsing history of billions of users. But it is not so simple, even if it is to protect the privacy of users, in the end, it is only to serve Google’s monopoly in the advertising cake.
Apple with Safari web browser has limited Cookie tracking feature since 2017, Firefox blocks third-party Cookies completely since 2019. It’s Google Chrome’s turn with the leading voice wants to remove the whole thing. use Cookies of third parties for the analysis of user information.
But change is necessary, Google’s move towards an ability to direct ads to web users does not focus on using Cookies, but instead uses machine learning (AI) algorithms to analyze groups of users with similar interests. Similar to how Netflix suggests movies you can watch next. This topic will be analyzed by GhienCongList in the following articles.
Enabling Cookies greatly helps in making your browsing experience better as given in the above paragraph. On the contrary, turning off Cookies will bring a lot of discomfort to web browsing such as having to re-login each time you visit, etc. But it also provides the safety of important information such as bank account numbers, personal information. in the cyber environment.
Above is the sharing of GhienCongListen to answer questions about what Cookies are and the benefits and risks encountered when using Cookies.
Readers can see some other articles of GhienCongList that explain some other terms below:
If you find the article useful, please leave a Like & Share as well as comment below if you have any questions. Thanks for watching.
Refer to HowToGeek
Source: What is a cookie that every website wants to have it?
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