What Are Cookies, How Do They Work, and What Types Are There?
Cookies are versatile tools for enhancing user experience and personalization, as well as for data collection and behavior tracking. Not all cookies are equal: some are essential for website functionality and safe, while others can be used for surveillance and storing personal data. Understanding the use of cookies on the sites you visit and managing privacy settings is crucial for personal data protection.
What Are Cookies, How Do They Work, and What Types Are There?
Browser cookies are small text files sent by websites to a user's browser when visiting pages. They store information about the visit and user preferences.
Types of Cookies
Session Cookies
Temporary cookies deleted after a browser session
Persistent Cookies
Stored until a specified expiration date or until manually deleted
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Essential for website functionality
Functional Cookies
Remember user choices on a site
De-Identified Cookies
Remove or alter identifying information, often used for general analytics
Analytical Cookies
Collect site usage information
Advertising Cookies
Display user-interest-based ads
What Data Do Cookies Collect?
This is arguably the most pressing question. The key is to distinguish these files to understand which ones pose a risk and which ones collect anonymized data for analytics. Cookies can collect various types of data: - Behavioral data (search history, clicked ads) - User preferences (language settings, site layout) - Session information (time of visit, pages viewed, time spent on the site) - Device and browser data - Login data (usernames, encrypted passwords) - Approximate location based on IP address - Information for content and advertising personalization For digital security, it's important to regularly clear cookies, adjust browser privacy settings, and understand the cookie usage policies of frequently visited websites.
European Cookie Law
In the European Union and the United Kingdom, consent for the use of cookies has long been collected. This is in line with the ePrivacy Directive, which mandates that all websites must request consent to place cookie files in the browser of anyone visiting them using an EU IP address. This directive was developed to limit privacy abuses by third-party cookies. Some cookies can be used to collect personal data and fall under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Compliance with these rules varies: some sites won’t load until you accept cookies, while others may not even mention their existence. Be mindful of cookie information and avoid sites that don’t disclose their use. Personal data control is always in your hands. VPNs offer an additional layer of protection by hiding your IP address and encrypting transmitted data.
