More Information About Cookies

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in your browser when you visit almost any web page. The purpose of the cookie is to allow the website to remember your visit when you return to browse that page. Although many people don’t know this, cookies have been used for over 20 years, since the first web browsers for the World Wide Web appeared.

What is not a cookie?

It is not a virus, Trojan, worm, spam, spyware, or pop-up window.

What information does a cookie store?

Cookies usually do not store sensitive information about you, such as credit card or banking details, photos, your ID, or personal information, etc. The data they store is of a technical nature, related to personal preferences, content customization, etc. The web server does not associate the cookie with you as a person but with your web browser. In fact, if you usually browse with Internet Explorer and then try browsing the same website with Firefox or Chrome, you will notice that the website does not recognize you as the same person because it is actually associating the cookie with the browser, not with the person.

What types of cookies exist?

Technical cookies: These are the most basic and allow, among other things, knowing when a human or an automated application is browsing, when an anonymous user and a registered user are browsing, and performing essential tasks for the operation of any dynamic website.
Analytics cookies: These collect information about the type of browsing you are doing, the sections you use most, products you view, usage time, language, etc.
Advertising cookies: These display ads based on your browsing habits, country of origin, language, etc.

What are first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are generated by the website you are visiting, while third-party cookies are generated by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

What happens if I disable cookies?

To help you understand the impact of disabling cookies, here are some examples:

  • You will not be able to share content from that website on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network.
  • The website will not be able to adapt its content to your personal preferences, as usually happens with online stores.
  • You will not be able to access the personal area of that website, such as “My Account,” “My Profile,” or “My Orders.”
  • Online stores: You will be unable to make purchases online, and transactions will have to be done over the phone or in person if a physical store is available.
  • You will not be able to personalize your geographical preferences, such as time zone, currency, or language.
  • The website will not be able to perform web analytics on visitors and traffic, making it harder for the website to remain competitive.
  • You will not be able to post on the blog, upload photos, leave comments, rate content, or submit feedback. The website will also not be able to determine if you are a human or an automated application publishing spam.
  • Targeted advertising will not be displayed, reducing the website’s advertising revenue.

All social networks use cookies, so if you disable them, you will not be able to use any social network.

Can cookies be deleted?

Yes. Not only can they be deleted, but they can also be blocked, either generally or for a specific domain. To delete cookies from a particular website, you must go to your browser’s settings, locate the cookies associated with the domain in question, and delete them.

Cookie settings for the most popular browsers

How to access a specific cookie in Google Chrome:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Go to Settings or Preferences via the File menu or by clicking the customization icon at the top right.
2. You will see different sections; click on Show advanced settings.
3. Go to Privacy > Content settings.
4. Select All cookies and site data.
5. A list of all cookies sorted by domain will appear. To find cookies from a specific domain more easily, enter part or all of the address in the Search cookies field.
6. After applying the filter, you will see one or more lines with cookies from the requested website. Select them and click the X to delete them.

How to access cookie settings in Internet Explorer:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Go to Tools > Internet Options.
2. Click on Privacy.
3. Move the slider to adjust the desired level of privacy.

How to access cookie settings in Firefox:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Go to Options or Preferences, depending on your operating system.
2. Click on Privacy.
3. Under History, choose Use custom settings for history.
4. Now you will see the option Accept cookies; you can enable or disable it according to your preferences.

How to access cookie settings in Safari for OSX:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Go to Preferences, then Privacy.
2. You will see the option Block cookies, where you can adjust the type of blocking you want.

How to access cookie settings in Safari for iOS:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Go to Settings, then Safari.
2. Go to Privacy & Security, where you will see the option Block cookies to adjust the blocking type.

How to access cookie settings in browsers for Android devices:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Open the browser and press the Menu key, then go to Settings.
2. Go to Security & Privacy, where you will see the option Accept cookies to enable or disable it.

How to access cookie settings in browsers for Windows Phone devices:
(Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version.)
1. Open Internet Explorer, then go to More > Settings.
2. Now you can enable or disable the Allow cookies option.

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