The word “cookie” has become increasingly common when using the Internet on computers and smartphones. Many people have a vague idea of how cookies can be set, deleted, or what happens when cookies are enabled.
In this article, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner, even for beginners, what exactly cookies are, their meaning, the effects of enabling and deleting them, and the movement to tighten regulations.
What are cookies?
When browsing websites through the Internet, you often see the display of “cookies.”
Have you ever been confused by pop-up messages such as “You agree to the use of cookies” or “You must enable cookies”, wondering “What will happen if I delete the settings or should I enable them?” It seems that many people do.
To put it simply, cookies are a mechanism that stores various information as data when a user accesses a website from a computer or smartphone. Let’s take a closer look at its meaning, overview, and types below.
Cookie overview
When viewing a website on the Internet, the browser on your computer or smartphone sends a display request to each website server. The server that receives the request displays the page as a response, and cookies are a mechanism that temporarily stores information about the browser that displayed the website.
The information saved includes access history, number of visits, page transitions, number of sessions, IDs, passwords, etc. By setting cookies to save this information, websites can identify and refer to repeat visits on the browser side, and use the information obtained from them for marketing.
In addition, users can log in smoothly without having to re-enter their ID or password, as their information remains on the browser through the cookie mechanism, and shopping sites retain information on previously added items in their carts. It becomes possible to do this.
It is important to understand that cookies store data from the time of access so that the display is consistent with the history of previous visits.
Cookie type
Cookies are a mechanism that increases the convenience of browsing websites, but they are divided into two types: “first-party cookies” and “third-party cookies,” each with different characteristics.
However, Google’s announcement in June 2021 specified that support for third-party cookies will be phased out in the Chrome browser from mid-2023.
What are the differences between first-party cookies and third-party cookies that are heading toward obsolescence? The specific characteristics of cookies are as follows.
first party cookies
A cookie issued by the same domain as the website being accessed. This is used to maintain the login status of the e-commerce site and store product information in the shopping cart. By setting first-party cookies, websites can manage user behavior history.
Third party cookies
A cookie issued by a domain other than the website being accessed. Many of them are issued from other domains for purposes such as access analysis and advertising distribution. When a user visits another website, the system goes beyond the boundaries of the site and displays advertisements for products that are similar to their hobbies and tastes, in line with their browsing habits.
However, currently, access analysis by Google Analytics uses only first-party cookies, not third-party cookies. It has been analyzed that this is due to an increase in the number of third-party cookies being blocked by settings or deleted by security software in order to protect individual privacy. The fact that it will be phased out starting in 2023 may also have an impact.
What happens if I delete cookies? What are the benefits of enabling settings?
Cookies make browsing a website more comfortable by providing information such as access and behavior history, but what impact does changing the settings have on users? The main possible effects of enabling or deleting cookies are as follows.
Delete cookies
By deleting cookies, you will have to log in by entering your ID and password each time you visit a website. Shopping information on the e-commerce site is not retained, and the contents of the cart are always empty. You won’t be able to save favorite products, and you won’t see personalized product recommendations. Also, depending on the advertisement, related products may not be displayed.
What happens when you delete cookies is that if you temporarily save useful information, you may not be able to use it, and you may find the website difficult to use.
Cookies can be deleted at any time, and you can choose whether to keep them enabled or deleted, so it is a good idea to consider the content of the site and configure it each time.
enable cookies
By enabling cookies, you can automatically log in to the website. This eliminates the hassle of entering information such as name, address, and phone number on the site, and allows you to retain product information in your shopping cart. Another benefit is that even if you leave the site midway through, you can save the items you like as favorites, allowing for smooth shopping the next time you visit.
However, much of the information obtained through cookies is used for corporate marketing activities and data analysis. Depending on how a company uses it, users may have a negative impression of it. There are also voices pointing out the use of information by third parties and the violation of privacy, so it can be said that it is necessary to be careful about the purpose of use and management of cookies.
What is the difference between cookies and cache?
When it comes to cookie settings, one thing that is often mistakenly confused is “caching.” Caching is the storage of data such as images and HTML so that you can speed up the display and quickly access a web page that you have viewed once.
The larger the web page, the longer it may take to display. Sites are often described as “heavy,” but even sites with lots of images and a large amount of information can be displayed quickly because the browser saves web page information as a cache.
Although they play a role completely different from the characteristics of cookies, they often have similar images because of the sound of the word “data storage”.
It is important to understand that cache is a mechanism that stores information on web pages, and cookies are a mechanism that stores user access history, action history, input information, etc.
Cookie regulation
Cookies are a mechanism that makes browsing websites more convenient by storing information, but on the other hand, there are concerns that enabling the setting increases the risk of privacy invasion and information leaks.
Cookies can also be set on images such as banner ads, so users’ access history can be tracked from there. These cookies are called “tracking cookies” or “spyware cookies,” and they collect information such as each user’s browsing habits (information about the websites they like to visit), including their family composition, range of activities, and political preferences. As it allows users to understand trends and other issues, there are growing concerns that it may be an invasion of privacy.
In recent years, cookie regulations have expanded in various countries. In May 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect, requiring all businesses handling personal information in the EU to comply with the terms of the User’s Privacy Policy regarding the acquisition of information using cookies. required to ask for consent.
In Japan, information obtained through cookies is considered to be personal information, and regulations are being tightened to protect this information as “anti-tracking.”
Due to this tightening of regulations, we can predict that it will become difficult to collect the same information using cookies as before. In particular, many companies have adopted “retargeting advertising,” which tracks users who have visited a website once and delivers advertisements, because it is highly cost-effective, but restrictions have already begun on browsers such as Safari. This is the situation.
It can be said that major changes are required in companies’ business and marketing activities.
summary
Cookies are a mechanism that temporarily saves browser information when you view a website on a smartphone or computer.
By enabling cookies, you can save your login information and make browsing the site more convenient. However, on the other hand, you must be very careful about unauthorized use by third parties, information leaks, and invasion of privacy.
When setting cookies, it is important to understand the benefits of enabling them and what will happen if you delete them. Consider the balance between protection of personal information and convenience, and make appropriate settings.