Cookies and Online Tracking: What They Are and How to Take Back Control
Cookies are small files websites save in your browser. Some are useful, others follow you across the web. Learn the types and six settings that reduce tracking.
You have probably clicked "Accept all cookies" a thousand times. Few people know what they are agreeing to. The good news is that you can understand them in five minutes and reduce tracking in ten.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores in your browser. It can remember who you are, so you do not need to log in again, or what is in your shopping cart, or your language preference.
The main types
- Essential cookies: needed for the site to work, such as keeping you logged in. These are fine.
- Preference cookies: remember choices like language or dark mode.
- Analytics cookies: count visits and show which pages people use. Often anonymous, but not always.
- Advertising and tracking cookies: follow you across many sites to build a profile and show targeted ads. These are the ones privacy-minded people limit.
First-party cookies come from the site you visit. Third-party cookies come from other companies embedded in the page, such as ad networks, and are the main tool for cross-site tracking.
Tracking goes beyond cookies
Websites can also recognise you through your device's settings, such as screen size, fonts, and browser version. This is called fingerprinting. Apps may also use advertising IDs on your phone.
6 steps to reduce tracking
Choose "reject" or "only necessary"
When a cookie banner appears, look for the option to reject non-essential cookies. It is your legal right in many places.
Turn on tracking protection
Browsers such as Firefox, Safari, and Brave block many trackers by default. In Chrome and Edge, check privacy settings.
Block third-party cookies
In your browser's privacy settings, turn them off, or choose the strongest tracking protection.
Review app permissions
On your phone, check which apps can access location, contacts, and the advertising ID, and switch off what they do not need.
Clear cookies now and then
Delete cookies from your browser settings, especially after using a shared computer.
Use a privacy-friendly search engine or extension
Options include tracker blockers, which can speed up pages too.
What most people miss
- Private or incognito mode does not make you anonymous. It only stops your browser from saving history and cookies on your device. Your internet provider and the websites can still see your visit.
- Free services are often paid for by data. If something is free, check how it makes money.
- Blocking everything can break sites, so allow cookies for the services you trust.
