When accessing an application or website, you may have come across a pop-up message containing an agreement to use it. So, do you know what is it are? In simple terms, cookies are information about the user’s activity while visiting the site.
However, not all cookies guarantee the security of user data. Therefore, understand what cookies are on the browser in full in the following article!
What are Cookies?
Please note that cookies are not computer programs or software.
Cookies are also known as web cookies, internet cookies, HTTP cookies, or browser cookies. Cookies are simple data that are stored in the form of a text file on your hard drive when you access a website.
The purpose of these cookies is to collect information about your online habits.
For example, clicking a certain button, going to page A, placing an item in the online shop cart, and so on.
Advertising content displayed can be in the interests of browser users, so for advertisers, this cookie is very useful.
It can also be used to remember pieces of information and data that users previously entered into form fields such as names, addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers.
One of the important roles of a cookie is the authentication cookie, which is the most common method used by web servers to find out whether a user is logged in or not, and from which account they are logged in.
Without this mechanism, the site cannot know what kind of information will be provided to the user, whether the information is sensitive or requires the user to authenticate himself by logging in.
Usually, users who have just visited a website will be notified regarding the use of it. Meanwhile, users can manage it through browser settings, whether they want to be enabled or disabled. Not infrequently users choose to disable it for privacy reasons and it is feared that it is at risk of being read by hackers.
Uses and Functions of Cookies in Browsers
The main function of it is to store data, and information, and keep track of records and activities of visitors to a website. What functions do cookies provide? Check out the full explanation below:
Save Login Information
The most visible function of it is to store login information.
So the first time you log in there will be a notification to save the username and password in the browser cookie.
You can choose to save or not, if you save at the next login, you don’t need to enter your username and password again, just log in.
Saving Website Settings
When you visit a website that offers English and Indonesian options. Then you select settings using Indonesian, then the cookie will “remember” the preferences you chose.
Saving Website Preferences
You visit a news portal and activate its dark mode.
The next day, you visit the news portal again and the dark mode is still active.
Why is the site not reverting to its original settings?
The answer is because browser store your preferences.
You’ll get the same preferences as the last time you opened the page.
Displaying Relevant Content
For example, you have searched for speakers on Tokopedia.
Tokopedia will save your search data and will recommend speaker-related products at another time.
Remarketing display ads also make use of it to display ads.
Showing Ads
The function is to display advertisements carried out by visitors’ browsing activities. For example, you have just visited the website of an online shop that sells motorbikes. Then sometime later when you are on a different site you will likely come across advertisements related to motorcycles.
Increase Affiliate Income
Affiliate marketing programs use it to increase publishers’ earnings.
So, even if a new purchase occurs a week later, the publisher will still get a commission.
Are Cookies Safe?
It usually do not compromise security. It’s cannot transfer malware, viruses, or other cybercrimes because the data carried by cookies does not change when moving from a computer to a website and vice versa. The data transfer does not affect your computer.
If you visit a website or application that asks for permission to use cookies, first make sure what is stored by it. Avoid visiting suspicious and potentially dangerous sites so that the information in your cookies is not stolen by irresponsible people.
How to Manage
You can manage cookies in your browser as you wish. . You can view the available options for managing cookies in your browser.
Different browsers use different ways to disable it. In addition to managing cookies, browsers usually allow you to manage files similar to cookies, such as local shared objects (LSOs), by enabling privacy mode in the browser.