You may have encountered a pop-upnotification while visiting a website asking you to accept cookies. Youmight’ve even accepted some of them blindly. But what should you do? Whathappens when you decline or accept it? Whilethe simple click of a buttonto accept cookies may seem harmless, the realsolution requires a bit moredepth.
Firstly, what arecookies?Cookies are the bits of data and information stored in your browser when youvisit a specific website. They are small text notifications sent by thewebsiteyou’re visiting to the computer or device you’re using. Some of thesecookiesare stored on your device's web browser, while some types are used to collectdata from your browser and send it to the website server. The cookies, then,can potentially be used to target ads to your devices. More on what type ofdata may be collected and for what purposes below.
Is accepting cookies a bad thing? It alldepends on the website. Most cookies are harmless, which are only used by thewebsite owner to let you access the site's full experience. Also, you won’t getthe personalized features while revisiting the website, meaning you’ll have tofill up your preferences, like language, etc., every time you go to the site.Again, it dependson who will gain access to your data and what they willdo with it, along withwhether declining cookies will affect your abilityto use that site.
Keep in mind not all cookies are thesame. Some cookies are placed byfirst parties like the sites you visit,while others are placed by third partieslike advertisers, who can latertarget ads to your device.
Let’s look into why websites want you toaccept cookies, whetheryou have to and should accept them, and whathappens if you decline.
Why websites ask you to accept cookies
Websites have become more focused onasking you to accept cookies. Thereason reflects a data privacyprotection law that governs online data trackingand transparency.
This data privacy law isknown as the European General Data ProtectionRegulation (GDPR), whichbecame enforceable in May 2018. The GDPR legislation requiresallmultinational companies to provide an opt-in whereby website ownersreceivea user’s permission to use cookies before being stored on a user’sweb browsers.This opt-in is designed to give users greater control overtheir data, knowing that informationis being collected if they consent tothat data collection. A website owner’s noncompliance may result in fines. Thispotential legal violation has led to more websites sending cookie notificationsto ensurethey are in compliance.
However, in India, there is noparticular law that implements regulations for websites to mandatorily ask forthe permission of users to use the cookies. The current data privacy provision“Information Technology Act (ITA) 2000” doesn’t address any laws against usingcookies of the site users.1Still, many websites dohave the option for accepting or declining their cookies usage.
Should you accept cookies?
According to thewebsitesand circ*mstances, it’s up to you to decide whether you should accept cookiesor not. Whenmaking the decision, it’s better to understand two keyquestions.
- Do you have to acceptcookies?– The short answer is, no, you do not have toaccept cookies. Rules like the GDPR were designed to give you control overyour data and browsing history.
- What happens if you declinecookies?– The potential problem with refusing to accept cookies isthat some website owners may not allow you to use their websites if youdon’t accept their cookies. And even if they do allow it, you may notreceive the full user experience on the particular sites. More on that,below.
3 times cookies can be helful
In some scenarios, it can be useful foryou to accept cookies. To understand why cookies can be helpful, it’s essentialto learn what information cookies might carry about you. Here’s a list.
- Website name
- Unique user ID
- Browsing habits and history
- Personal preferences andinterests
- Links clicked
- Number of times a website visited
- Time spent on a website
- Settings selected
- Account log-in information,including your username and password
- Online identifiers like yourlocation and IP address
- Personal data like your phonenumber andemailaddress
- Shopping cart items
With all of this data collected,companies can use cookies to their advantage and, in some cases, to youradvantage as well. Here are three ways that accepting cookies could help you.
- Website access.Notaccepting cookies can block your access to some websites. If you urgentlyneed to visit such sites, you can first analyze the site's legitimacybefore doing it.
- Improved user experience.Cookiescan be helpful because they help sites remember you. This memory can helpimprove your individual user experience by personalizing their content toyou. Why is this a good thing? If they already know about you and cantailor your website experience to your interests, they will potentiallymake your browsing experience more efficient, practical, and focused. Thismore personalized experience can be beneficial when watching videos,online shopping, reading articles, and more. For example, when you revisita video steaming website after accepting cookies, it could remember whatyou watched before and suggest you similar types of content based on them.Cookies can make your online activities quicker and more convenient.
- Easy log-ins.Cookiessaved on your web browser also can remember your log-in credentials. Thiscan come in handy if you constantly visit a specific platform. You won’thave to repeatedly log in to your go-to websites, especially if yousometimes forget your passwords.
5 times you shouldn’t accept or keepcookies
There are some scenarios where you mightnot want to accept or keep cookies. Here are five examples.
- Unencrypted websites.Youshouldn’t accept cookies when you’re on an unencrypted website. If the URLof a site you’re visiting doesn’t contain the lock icon beside it, the addressis not encrypted. Why is this dangerous?Encryptionscrambles yourdata and makes it almost impossible for hackers to access it. If a websiteisn’t encrypted, there is no security to protect your information. Thisunsecured access may allow third parties to steal cookies from yourbrowser, intercepting personal information you likely want to be keptprivate, like credit card and other confidential information,leaving you morevulnerableto online crimes like identity theft.
- Third-party cookies.Notall cookies are the same. Some websites can take your cookies informationand sell the browsing data to third parties. Sharing your personalinformation with unknown parties could leave you vulnerable to passivecyberattacks, meaning you could become acybercrimevictim again and again. Once the third parties have your data, they cansell it to the dark web, or use it to copy your identity for performing avariety of online crimes. It’s a good idea to decline third-party cookiesif you can recognize them.
- Slowed computer speed.Havingnew cookies stored in your browser over and over also could slow down yourcomputer. Cookies occupy disk space, which can affect your computer’sspeed.
- Flagged cookies.Antivirussoftwaremay flag suspicious cookies, in which case you should notaccept them (or you should delete them if you already have). You couldinstall a robust security application, such asNorton 360, that could detect such vulnerablesites and help protect your data.2
- Use of private information.Ifthe site you’re visiting is insecure and requires personal data like your AadhaarCard Number or banking information, you should decline the use of cookies.This is the type of personally identifiable information (also known asPII) that, if intercepted by the wrong parties, could help fraudsterscommit online frauds likeidentitytheft.3Personal information like your Financial details, in particular, shouldalways be kept private and only shared when absolutely necessary and withthe highest regard for privacy and security. A regulation like the GDPRhelps ensure you’re given this decision and have control over your data,especially when sensitive information like your banking data and similarlyidentifiable information is at stake.
1https://cis-india.org/telecom/knowledge-repository-on-internet-access/internet-privacy-in-india
2https://www.nortonlifelockpartner.com/security-center/norton-overview.html
3https://www.nortonlifelockpartner.com/security-center/identity-theft-after.html
- Norton
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Editorial note:Our articles provide educational information for you. Our offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about Cyber Safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses. The Norton and LifeLock brands are part of Gen Digital Inc.
