What are cookies?
Have you ever opened a random site and got a message on the screen asking for your permission to accept cookies? Have you ever wondered what cookies are? People who are well versed in computer knowledge may know this.
But what about people who are not aware of it? One must know what a cookie is? And why is it used? To avoid confusing a cookie with a virus attack on your system.
This article has some detailed facts about why cookies are used, variants of cookies, what kind of data does it store? This is to educate users on the basics of the Internet, so that they are aware of what happens when they click Yes to cookies.
What are cookies and how do they work
Cookies, otherwise known as Internet cookies, are a word used for small packages that store data about a user and their browsing history. These cookies are not harmful unless a virus is embedded in them. It is a technical term for the phenomenon where the browser sends a notification to the server with the collected data.
This helps customize web pages or helps save login information for specific web pages. For example: To save passwords for different accounts like Gmail, Twitter, etc., the entire information is saved in the server.
So that the next time you enter any website using a cookie, you will be contacted by the browser to enter your data such as your name, email ID and types of interests. The data is then collected in a cookie by your internet browser which is used the most.
This data is collected as a file by your Internet browser which is then sent to the server. Every time your program requests a web page, this cookie is sent to the server.
A cookie helps keep track of your website browsing habits which helps web pages to track your interests and thus helps you customize ads or websites accordingly.
For example, when you browse products in Souq.com, in a second, you will start seeing ads on YouTube with the products you were looking for. This is nothing but cookies. It helps customize the content so that it can target you on your popular website. This helps them identify your common interests. Hence, it is a very powerful tool for digital marketing as well.
What are the types of cookies
1. Temporary cookie
Temporary cookies are similar to short-term cookies. Meaning, it stops working when you exit your web browser. This type of cookie does not collect any permanent information from your browsing habits. It only stores based on the sessions you have browsed on the web page. Thus, the information is not collected on a personal level.
2. Persistent cookies
A persistent cookie is a persistent cookie, which stays in your system until it expires or unless someone deletes it on their own. Persistent cookies always have a set expiration date. Since this is more on a personal level, it stores information on an individual level. Thus, it allows to track the habits and interests of the user's site, etc.
What type of information does a cookie store
Cookies contain a fixed number of parameters that can hold their information. This information about the user is collected from the browser. Cookies do not have to know every little detail about the user such as their source, age, gender, etc. However, some cookies collect more details about the user. But this can only happen if you provide your personal information to your browser.
As you know, cookies are only for collecting user information. Therefore, it can only be harmful if it contains viruses in the cookie. You don't have to worry about cookies.