What are Cookies?

Cookies

A small text file (up to 4KB) created by a website that is stored on the user's computer either temporarily for that session only or permanently on the hard disk (persistent cookie). Cookies provide a way for the website to recognize you and keep track of your preferences.

Should you accept cookies ?

Nowadays almost all websites will ask you if you are OK with their use of cookies. You can say no but you may not get the service you need from the site.

Cookies Are Beneficial

Cookies are commonly used to "maintain the state" of a browser session. For example, users can place items in the site’s shopping cart, switch to another page or even another site, and when they come back, the site recognizes them and the current state of the cart.

Your Cookies Know You

Quite a bit of personal data may reside in the cookie files in your computer. As a result, this storehouse of private information is sometimes the object of attack. For instance social media sites have been known to access age and gender information and use it to pitch appropriate adverts to the user.

First-Party Personal Cookies

The default settings in your Web browser typically allow "first-party" cookies, but not "third-party" cookies. First-party cookies are created by the website you are visiting and are necessary to keep track of your personal preferences and the current session as explained above.

Third-Party Tracking Cookies

Third-party cookies are created by a website other than the one you are currently visiting; for example, by a third-party advertiser on that site. The purpose of such cookies is usually to track your surfing habits, which is why third-party cookies are considered an invasion of privacy and riskier than first-party cookies.

Configuring Settings

A Web browser can be configured so that only first-party cookies coming from the originating sites are maintained. It can also be set to prevent all cookies from being stored in your computer, but that severely limits the Web surfing experience. To change settings, look for the cookie options in your browser in the Options, Settings or Preferences menu.

Within the Chrome browser one can change the various browser settings by first clicking on the three dots at the top right of the screen. Then finding the settings menu near the bottom of the list. One can then search for the required option, in this case Cookies.

The full path is as follows :- Settings/Advanced/Site settings/Cookies

Some cookies only last a short while others are permanent. One can remove all the cookies if you wish but remember that you may lose some performance in doing this. You can view the cookies here :- Settings/Advanced/Site settings/Cookies/All cookies and site data and remove any that you are not happy with.

The path for clearing all cookies is :- Settings/Advanced/Clear browsing data.

To Prevent third-party websites from saving and reading cookie data go to

Settings/Advanced/Site settings/Cookies/Block third-party cookies and turn it on.

If you are new to this subject perhaps you should get comfortable with your browsing habits and note any passwords you may have stored within the browser. Then visit the Clear browsing data option and delete all cookies. You now have a “Clean Machine” The next time you visit a site you have visited previously it will ask for permission to use cookies and if you say no you may not see the full site. Catch - 22 !

You can clear the browsing data each week perhaps, it all depends on your browsing activity.

Sandboxie https://www.sandboxie.com/DownloadSandboxie is an App for the PC that keeps all your browser information in an isolated part of your computer. When you exit the browser all the information that has been downloaded will be erased. Of course if you download pictures, music or podcasts all will be lost. So use your normal browser for this and Sandboxie for casual browsing.

Please get advice before using Sandboxie

NB: all the above is based on the Chrome browser, for other browsers; MS Edge, Firefox and MS IE please investigate the settings option for your browser.

MS Edge = Three dots Settings/Privacy & Security/Cookies (All or 3rd party only)

Also if you have more than one computer and you use the same user account to access your web sites then changing a setting on one computer may change the setting on all of your other computers.