Inside the digital world of cookies

Subject : Science and Tech

Section :Awareness in IT

What are cookies?

cookies are small blocks of data created by a web server while a user is browsing a website and placed on the user’s computer or other device by the user’s web browser. Cookies are placed on the device used to access a website, and more than one cookie may be placed on a user’s device during a session.
Cookies help in personalisation and user convenience.
The term cookie was coined by web-browser programmer Lou Montulli. It was derived from the term magic cookie, which is a packet of data a program receives and sends back unchanged, used by Unix programmers.

How do cookies work?

Cookies remember one’s login information on websites i.e. one do not have to repeatedly enter one’s credentials every time one revisit a site, making it convenient for use.
Cookies remember the previous interactions on a website, so that next time one visits that website, it personalities the user experience. For example: e-commerce websites show the similar products you had previously searched for on their website.
Platforms like Facebook and Google use cookies to track online behaviour, ensuring the ads you encounter align with your preferences.
Disadvantage: Privacy concerns and the potential for data misuse.

What are the types of cookies?

Session cookies: They are temporary cookies and stored in your computer’s memory only during your browsing session.
Persistent cookies: They stay on your device after your browsing session ends. Persistent cookies remember your login information, language preferences, and even the ads you have interacted with.
Secure cookies are only sent over encrypted connections, making them safer from prying eyes. Secure cookies are often used for sensitive data like login credentials.
Third-party cookies: They come from a domain other than the one you are visiting. They are often used for tracking and advertising purposes, which can be both useful and, at times, intrusive.

What are the uses of cookies?

They act as digital ID cards, aiding in user authentication by allowing websites to recognise and keep you logged in during your visit.
They foster a sense of personalisation.
They function as the digital equivalent of a persistent shopping cart, ensuring that items you have added online remain there when you return.
Facilitate website owners in gathering analytics data about user interactions, enabling them to make enhancements and customize content.
Targeted advertising: used to display ads that align with your interests and browsing history.

What are the challenges associated?

Privacy concerns: cookies could track your online behavior.
Security risks: when cookies are inadequately secured, one can face cybercrimes and theft of personal data.
Third-party cookies: may be harmful to the computer device, or can steal the private information from the device.
Large amounts of data generated by these cookies can slow down the computer or the website.

Steps taken:

General Data Protection Regulation and The California Consumer Privacy Act necessitates the websites to seek your approval before deploying certain cookie types, resulting in those somewhat irksome pop-ups and prompts.
India’s newly enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 now necessitates websites to acquire explicit consent from users prior to collecting or processing their personal data via cookies. The updated law highlights the significance of transparent and well-informed consent.

Source: TH