Photo by Cookies: The Price of Personalisation?
As a keen user of online services, I’ve always been curious about the little pop-ups that seem to appear every time I visit a website. ‘Accept all’ or ‘Reject all’, they say - but what exactly am I accepting or rejecting?
In recent years, there’s been a lot of debate about online cookies and their impact on our browsing experience. Some see them as a necessary evil, while others believe they’re a major invasion of our privacy.
I decided to dig a little deeper into the world of cookies, and what I found out might surprise you. When you click ‘Accept all’, you’re not just agreeing to let the website store a few harmless files on your device. You’re also giving them - and their partners - permission to use your personal data for a whole range of purposes.
“We use Cookies to provide our sites and apps to you, authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and measure your use of our sites and apps.”
A simple diagram illustrating how cookies work
Of course, there are some legitimate reasons why websites need to use cookies. For example, they can help to improve the user experience by storing your login details and preferences. They can also help to prevent spam and abuse by identifying suspicious activity.
But there’s a darker side to cookies, too. Many websites use them to collect sensitive information about their users, including their IP address, browsing history, and even their geolocation. This information can then be used to serve personalised ads, which can be both creepy and annoying.
So what can you do if you don’t want to accept cookies? The good news is that you have more control than you might think. Most websites offer a ‘Reject all’ option, which will block all cookies from being stored on your device.
Alternatively, you can customise your cookie settings to suit your needs. For example, you might choose to accept certain types of cookies (such as those that improve the user experience) while rejecting others (such as those that track your browsing history).
A screenshot of a typical cookie settings page
In conclusion, cookies are a complex issue that affects us all. While they can be useful in certain situations, they can also be a major invasion of our privacy. By understanding how cookies work and taking control of our own cookie settings, we can make more informed choices about how our personal data is used online.
Take back control of your cookies
- Find out more about how websites use your personal data in their privacy policy and cookie policy.
- Learn how to customise your cookie settings on your favourite websites.
- Consider using a cookie-blocking browser extension to take back control of your online experience.
