So, what is a cookie policy, and why should it concern you?
Lets take a closer look and break it all down into easily digestible pieces.
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But they dont come in a one-size-fits-all deal.
Persistent cookieshang around for longer, sometimes months, or even years.
Third-party cookiesare the overly inquisitive neighbors of the cookie world.
They come from outside the website you are visiting and are often placed by advertisers or social media platforms.
This is where a cookie policy comes in.
In short, cookie policies are about the website giving you the lowdown on its data-collecting activities.
Why do cookie policies matter?
You might be thinking,Okay, great.
But why should I care?
Cant I just browse the web in peace without thinking about cookies?Fair question.
Protecting your privacy (and your sanity)
We live in the era of data.
Companies treat it as gold, and cookies are one way to mine it.
Some cookies are totally harmless and improve your web experience.
Others - such as third-party cookies - track your actions across the Internet like a nosy detective.
The information they gather can then be sold to advertisers to show you targeted ads.
That is third-party cookies working their magic (or rather black magic).
It is the law
Here is where things get a bit more serious.
Providing a clear and transparent cookie policy can go a long way in building trust with users.
The cookie policy in action
Here is a picture.
You are shopping online (again) and have just found a killer deal on a new phone.
All of this is powered by - you guessed it - cookies.
You might notice that familiar pop-up: This website uses cookies.
By clicking accept, you agree to our cookie policy.
Behind this simple message is a whole lot going on.
The cookie policy tells you what is being tracked - your cart, your behavior, and your preferences.
Nonetheless, it is there for a reason - to keep you informed and give you a choice.
No cookie policy?
Sound the alarm
Imagine visiting a site without a cookie policy.
You wouldnt know if your data was being sold to advertisers or kept safe.
In the absence of a cookie policy, there is no transparency.
Are cookies going extinct?
If you are wondering whether cookies will always be a thing, the answer is… maybe not.
Tech companies, especially those heavily involved in web browsers likeGoogleandApple, are actively working on alternatives.
Although this differs from the originally announced complete end of support for third-party cookies, users have welcomed it.
Another one in five (22%) of the 2,000 interviewed UK residents are still undecided.
Firefox and Safari have already implemented more aggressive measures to block third-party cookies by default.
But for now, they are still a big part of how the web works.
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