Cookies

Cookies are small amounts of data that a website stores on a user’s computer or mobile device through a browser. Websites can use cookies to gradually “remember” a user’s actions or preferences.

Most web browsers support cookies. Users can configure their browsers to reject certain types of cookies or specific cookies, and users can also delete cookies at any time.

Websites use cookies to understand how users interact with their content and to improve the user experience. For example, some cookies can remember the language or preferences a user has selected, so they don’t have to make those choices again when revisiting the site. Additionally, cookies can help websites provide tailored content, such as relevant videos.

Cookies used by websites can be divided into first-party and third-party cookies based on the interacting entities. First-party cookies are set by the domain the user is visiting, while third-party cookies are set by other domains that the website relies on for services, such as a third-party video streaming service, which may use cookies to store information about a user’s membership status. Based on their duration, cookies can be classified as session cookies or persistent cookies. Session cookies are temporary and used to remember actions during a website visit, expiring when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies store preferences from a website visit and remain on the user’s desktop or mobile device even after the browser is closed or the device is restarted. The most common persistent cookie is the “remember me” feature on website login pages.