What are cookies?

What are cookies?

Table of Contents

What are cookies?

A digital cookie is a small text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website you visit. A cookie can contain data about what you view online, a website will ask you to accept or deny cookies so the website owner can track the pages you have visited and what you’ve clicked on, but don’t worry, it does not collect any personal information about you.

What do cookies do?

Cookies are used for a variety of reasons, such as tracking what you do on a website, personalise your experience and gather information on who is visiting a website. Have you ever been on a website looking for something and then you see an ad for what you were just looking for on social media or on Google? Well, that’s down to cookies. It personalises your experience online to help you find what you’re looking for.

Should I accept cookies?

Some people prefer not to allow cookies, as they may feel it invades their privacy. You can usually disable cookies in your browser settings if you prefer not to allow them. It won’t make much difference to you if you deny cookies, it will only restrict you from seeing personalised ads and the website owner from seeing what pages you’ve been clicking on.

Are cookies safe?

Cookies are generally considered harmless and safe to accept, they do not contain viruses. Just to remind you, while you’re browsing websites, you must ensure the website you have clicked on is safe so you do not download anything that will potentially harm your computer or mobile device. You can find out how to see if a website is safe in our blog post later this month! So, keep your eyes peeled.