This Site Uses Cookies: What They Are and How They Can Be Used Against You
Published on September 2, 2024
In today’s digital landscape, the phrase “This web site uses cookies” is universal. But what does it really mean? Website Cookies are small data files stored on your device by websites you visit. Internet cookies meaning is that they're essential for enhancing your browsing experience but can also raise privacy and data protection. In this article, we discuss web cookies, their advantages and disadvantages, and how to guarantee GDPR compliance for your website.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by a website. They contain data about your browsing behavior, preferences, and login information.
Types of cookies website usually has include:
- Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that your PC deletes when you close your browser. They help websites remember your actions within a single session.
- Persistent Cookies: Cookies that remain on your device for a set period, even after closing your browser. They remember login details, language preferences, or items in your shopping cart.
- Third-Party Cookies: Set by domains other than the one you are visiting, often used for tracking and advertising purposes.
How Cookies and Websites Improve Your Browsing Experience
| Function | Use Cookies | Without Cookies |
|---|---|---|
| Personalization | Your favorite items are recommended based on past visits. Example: "Because you viewed these shoes, you might like these." | All recommendations are random and not based on your preferences. Example: "Here are some random products." |
| Authentication | Stay logged in while you browse different pages. Example: "You remain signed in to your account." | You need to log in again each time you move to a new page. Example: "Please log in again to continue." |
| Analytics | Track how users interact with the site to improve it. Example: "We noticed you clicked on this feature often." | Limited data to understand user behavior. Example: "No data on how users interact with the site." |
| Advertising | Show ads relevant to your interests based on browsing. Example: "Ads for gadgets you’ve searched for." | Ads are generic and not tailored to your interests. Example: "Random ads for products you haven't searched for." |
How Cookies in the Browser Might Be Used Against You
Despite their benefits, cookies can pose risks:
- Privacy Invasion: Third-party cookies can track your activity across sites, creating a detailed profile without your consent. Example: Reports indicate that some cookies are programmed to follow you around the web, collecting information from your online behavior that’s used to build a detailed profile. This profile can reveal details such as whether you're a child, adult, engaged, or have children, where you live, your hobbies, job role, financial status, daily routines, entertainment choices, favorite brands, recent online searches, health concerns and political or social interests.
- Targeted Advertising: Personal ads are designed to appeal to you by analyzing your web browsing history, potentially leading to a feeling of being constantly watched.
| Recent Search Activity | What Business Ads Will Be Shown to You |
|---|---|
| Financial Stuff | Ads for high-interest loans, debt consolidation services, or credit repair scams. |
| Relations | Ads for expensive divorce lawyers, dating services with questionable privacy, or misleading relationship advice. |
| Political | Ads for extremist political campaigns, controversial petitions, or manipulative political propaganda. |
| Health | Ads for unproven health supplements, aggressive treatment promotions, or online pharmacies with dubious practices. |
| Travel | Ads for timeshare schemes, overpriced travel packages, or deceptive travel insurance offers. |
- Internet Security Threats: Cookies web vulnerabilities can be exploited, putting your internet security at risk. Example: Attackers can steal cookies from your computer and transfer them to their own device, allowing them to log into your accounts and access your personal information.
Legal Obligations for Website Owners
Website owners must inform users about cookies and obtain their consent before placing cookies on their devices. This is crucial under laws like GDPR in the EU and CCPA in the USA. Here’s how to ensure compliance:
- Implement a Cookie Banner: Display a banner informing users of cookie use and seeking their consent.
- Update Your Privacy Policy: Clearly state the types of cookies used, what data they collect, and how it’s used. Provide options to manage cookie preferences.
- Enable Cookie Management: Allow users to accept, reject, or customize cookie preferences and withdraw consent at any time.
Cookies on Kolodych.com: What You Need to Know
After integrating Google Tag Manager and Microsoft Clarity into my website, I noticed an increase in the variety and number of cookies being set. These tools automatically add cookies that track user behavior and engagement across the site. Google Tag Manager helps manage and deploy various marketing and analytics tags, leading to the creation of cookies that track user interactions for analytics and advertising purposes. Similarly, Microsoft Clarity sets cookies that collect data on user sessions, including clicks, scrolls, and page views, to provide insights into how users interact with the site. For example, here is example of Microsoft Clarity feature to record user sessions, that could help website owners understand how people interact with their website:
This video shows a session recording where the user interacts with various posts, moving the mouse around and clicking a few times on the background. Please note: This video contains no spoken content or important audio elements.
Conclusion
When you collect cookies, they help optimize user experience and enhance marketing strategies, but they also introduce challenges regarding privacy and data protection, especially in line with GDPR regulations. Understanding how to manage a website effectively includes ensuring compliance with these regulations to protect user data and maintain trust.
Football Academy site example
Japalandia work abroad Landing Page
Model Agency site example
Creating Telegram Bots
