TL;DR
Cookies are small files that websites save on your device to remember things like your settings, logins, or shopping cart. They make browsing faster and easier but can also track what you do online. Some are essential for a site to work, others are for ads or analytics. Privacy laws now require websites to ask permission for non-essential cookies.
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You have probably seen a pop-up asking about cookies and wondered what it means.
Cookies are not food here. They are small bits of data that help websites remember things about you. They are pretty common now and are part of how the internet works.
What Are Website Cookies?
Cookies are small text files a website saves on your phone or computer when you visit it.
They store simple stuff like the language you choose or if you are logged in. This way the site does not forget when you come back later.
Cookies have been around since the mid-1990s, starting with old browsers like Netscape. They make browsing easier by remembering basic details for you.
How Do Cookies Work?
When you visit a site, it sends a cookie to your browser, and your browser saves it.
The next time you visit the same site, your browser sends the cookie back. The site then remembers your settings or what you did before.
This happens automatically in the background. Most cookies only work for the site that made them, unless it is a special kind used by more than one site.
Read also: What If You Don't Accept or Reject the Cookie Banner
Main Types of Cookies
Not all cookies do the same thing. The main types are:
- Essential cookies – Needed for a site to work. They keep you logged in or remember your shopping cart.
- Tracking or advertising cookies – Often from other companies. They follow you across different sites to show ads based on what you look at.
- Analytics cookies – Help site owners see how people use the site, like which pages are most popular.
Why Websites Use Cookies
Cookies make websites more convenient. They let sites suggest products, remember your preferences, and track how well the site works.
Even small sites use cookies to remember things like dark mode or font size so you do not have to set them again every time.
Without cookies, you would have to enter the same info again and again, like logging in every time. Over time, cookies became a basic part of many website features. But this also raised some privacy concerns.
Privacy Laws and Cookies
One big reason for all those cookie pop-ups is privacy laws.
In Europe, laws from 2002 and updated in 2016 with something called GDPR say sites must ask permission before using non-essential cookies, especially tracking ones.
Today, new laws give stricter rules for getting clear permission to use cookies. Websites must make it just as easy to refuse cookies as to accept them. Authorities now check more often to be sure sites are not secretly tracking people. This helps protect your data, but some sites still make it harder to refuse cookies.
Why Cookies Matter for You
For you, cookies make websites faster and easier. They help sites remember your settings so you do not have to start over each time.
They can save time, like filling in forms automatically or keeping your playlist playing. But they also collect info about what you do online, so it is important to know what you are sharing.
Cookies are part of how the internet works, and they are not going away. Knowing about them helps you choose what you are okay with. If you are not sure, check the cookie pop-up and change the settings to what you prefer.
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