Cookies are small pieces of data, stored in text files, that are stored on your computer or other device when websites are loaded in a browser. They are widely used to “remember” you and your preferences, either for a single visit (through a “session cookie”) or for multiple repeat visits (using a “persistent cookie”). They ensure a consistent and efficient experience for visitors, and perform essential functions such as allowing users to register and remain logged in. Cookies may be set by the site that you are visiting (known as “first party cookies”), or by third parties, such as those who serve content or provide advertising or analytics services on the website (“third party cookies”).
There are three types of computer cookies we use: session, persistent, and third-party. These virtually invisible text files are all very different. Each with their own mission, these cookies are made to track, collect, and store any data:
- SESSION COOKIES - are temporary cookies that memorize your online activities. Since websites have no sense of memory, without these cookies, your site browsing history would always be blank. In fact, with every click you would make, the website would treat you as a completely new visitor
- PERSISTENT COOKIES (also known as first-party cookies) - work by tracking your online preferences. When you visit a website for the first time, it is at its default setting. But if you personalize the site to fit your preferences, persistent cookies will remember and implement those preferences the next time you visit the site. This is how computers remember and store your login information, language selections, menu preferences, internal bookmarks, and more
- THIRD-PARTY COOKIES - also referred to as tracking cookies, collect data based on your online behavior. When you visit a website, third-party cookies collect various types of data that are then passed on or sold to advertisers by the website that created the cookie. Tracking your interests, location, age, and search trends, these cookies collect information so that marketers can provide you with custom advertisements. These are the ads that appear on websites you visit and display content relevant to your interests.
Visitors may wish to restrict the use of cookies or completely prevent them from being set. Most browsers provide for ways to control cookie behavior such as the length of time they are stored – either through built-in functionality or by utilizing third party plugins. If you disable cookies, please be aware that some of the features of our service may not function correctly.
So, what is your best option? The answer is, it depends. If you don’t want any cookies on your hard disk, then your best option would be to delete your cookies and then block them through your browser settings. Merely deleting cookies from your hard disk is unproductive since most websites recreate deleted cookies quickly. This makes them likely to just reappear the next time you go online. On the other hand, blocking cookies inhibits websites from directly embedding cookies into your hard disk. But changing your cookie settings comes with repercussions: your online experience will change.