What Are Cookies?
Cookies are tiny files a website stores in your browser to remember things. Some are genuinely helpful. Others exist mainly to follow you around the web.
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The useful kind
First-party cookies are set by the site you're actually on. They keep you logged in, remember your cart, and save your preferences. Without them, the web would be far more annoying.
The tracking kind
Third-party cookies are set by other companies embedded in a page, like ad networks. They follow you from site to site to build a profile for advertising. These are the ones privacy tools and browsers increasingly block.
How to control them
- Block third-party cookies in your browser settings. Most browsers now do this by default.
- Clear cookies periodically to reset tracking.
- Use a privacy browser or extension for stronger control.