Have you ever wondered how your internet activity is tracked and recorded by website cookies? Cookies are small pieces of data that websites save on your web browser. Nearly every website you visit has cookies to keep track of information, such as how many times you’ve visited the site and what you’ve looked at. But how do they know? Web browsers like Chrome and Safari allow companies to set a cookie to store information about the user. This article will explain how this works in detail. We’ll also show you some ways to disable or delete these tracking cookies from your computer so you can browse the Internet without being followed around everywhere you go!
What Are Website Cookies?
Website cookies are small pieces of data that a website sends to your browser and stores on your computer. A cookie can’t read information from other cookies, nor can it read any information on your hard drive. Cookies are often used to store a unique identifier for the user, which can then be used to track them as they browse the site. The most common use is to keep users logged into an account when they return to the same page. You may have seen websites where you stay signed in if you click “login” once until you close your web browser. This makes signing back into a service easier because each time you visit the site, the login form won’t appear again unless you clear your cache or delete files related to the previous session.
Privacy concerns with cookies
Recently, a new law was passed requiring websites to let customers know if they are using cookies. In addition, it is now necessary for websites to provide a list of all the third-party companies that will be able to access their website and what those companies do with the data they collect. Some customers worry about the consequences of these changes as browsers may not allow users to visit a site if it does not follow this new law. This law is known as the POPI act (known as the Protection of Personal Information Act). If you are the owner of a website, you might be wondering, “now, what should I do to stay within the perimeters of the law?” This is where we come in! You need to fill in our questionnaire and get a free POPI compliance assessment for your business. We can even help you put it on your website!
How to delete or disable website cookies?
There are a few ways you can delete cookies. You are using the browser’s “Clear History” setting, which deletes all browsing data from the last hour. Another way is to delete individual cookies by opening the cookie folder and deleting them manually. This does change from browser to browser, though. You may also be able to find instructions online about how to clear your history with specific browsers.
In conclusion, it’s important to remember that cookie information and countless other online items are at the mercy of the company owning those cookies. Therefore, you have to be wary of what you share on the Internet, as it could be used against you. From a user perspective, it’s essential to be aware of how these trackers can affect your privacy and take protective measures accordingly.
