Cookies have become the de facto standard for websites and applications that constantly sneak on us begging for acceptance. Cookies have become the bane of convenience to web browsing and the basis upon which tracking — both necessary and unnecessary — has thrived. Almost as if in a trance, we have always ended up “accepting all” whenever presented with cookie options whenever visiting new sites, even when we actually do not have to.
But what are cookies? Well, these are the pieces of information stored within text files in our browsers to help improve the browsing experience. Cookies are what enable easy and consistent browsing when working with things such as forms, remembering pieces of login information, building carts for online shopping, and many other activities that require storage and retrieval of browsing data. Due to cookies, web pages can load faster for sites we visit regularly and predictably provide customized content for convenience. Having cookies will ultimately save time, bandwidth, and overall user experience. Despite these advantages, cookie options have been broadened to include more abilities to unnecessarily capture additional information from our browsers. This is the limit beyond which we must criticize cookie usage from the websites we visit, especially on a one-off basis.
I wouldn’t want my browser to keep cookies for a shopping site only to be served endless advertisements for products I was lazily scrolling through. Better still, I wouldn’t want third-party cookies (placed by external websites other than those I am visiting) because then, my social media pages or pages that serve ads for revenue would be filled with ads and content that subvert my will, albeit subtly.
As much as cookies are necessary, we have to decide how much information we want to be collected and processed. Today, many websites are being mandated to provide cookie policies and options to visitors to ease visibility on what we are opting into. Laws like GDPR already protect consumers by ensuring opt-in options for cookies while also outlining which cookies can be stored and what they will be used for by the website owners. No matter how reassuring the cookie banner appears to be, we do not have to “accept all” cookies automatically. Admittedly, some sites will refuse to work if you refuse their cookies, but it is better to assess the cookie options first before assuming denial to a site.
Let’s walk through a cookie instance to see how we can accept only the necessary cookies. On visiting the site goal.com, a cookie banner immediately appears at the end of the page.
Instead of “accepting all” like we would have previously done, let’s select cookie settings. We are subsequently presented with the below page;
Here, we note that all the available cookie options are mandatory (always active) and that I have zero options to opt-out of something like social media or targeting cookies. In this case, I have no option but to confirm my choices and browse begrudgingly. Note that by continuing to browse the site without accepting the cookies, the browser will assume you have automatically provided consent.
Let us try another site. This time, aljazeera.com. Upon choosing the cookie settings, this is what we are presented with. The cookie page has radio buttons with which we can tailor the cookies we want stored in our browser.
Delightfully, note that only the very necessary cookies are always active. We will happily disable all optional cookies before proceeding to confirm our choices.
Only after such a move can we be sure to have allowed only the necessary cookies on our sites. But let’s make a brief case for disallowing something like “targeting cookies” from the above image. The description for the targeting cookie reads;
This is an example of a third-party cookie that will enable advertising partners to serve me relevant ads. Assuming this was an online retail shop, I would constantly see advertisements for a product, even if I were a priest who accidentally clicked on a baby diapers products. No doubt, shoulder surfing brothers in Christ would raise serious questions.
We should therefore learn to only allow the very necessary cookies to avoid the baggage that comes with unnecessary tracking and content “smuggling” in our browsers. These steps contribute to cybersecurity hygiene spelt in limiting the information we relinquish to others, which may ultimately compromise our systems and lead to data breaches, for example, when third parties are compromised.
Next time you browse through a site, make sure you know your cookie options. We can’t have you eating all the cookies while you are already full. To start on a clean slate, go to your browser settings and clear all history including browsing and cookie data.
