Do you always have to accept cookies?

 

Surely, when you visit any new site for the first time, you will see an annoying pop-up banner informing you that this site uses cookies. These banners usually take up a lot of screen space; Therefore, you must click on the "Accept" button to fully use the site, as ignoring this banner makes browsing the site annoying. But the question remains: Why does the message “This site uses cookies” appear over and over again? What are cookies originally?

 

Cookies in short are small text files that a website you are visiting sends to your computer or device. Once accepted, these cookies will be stored on your device's web browser. The cookies will then be able to track and store data on your device and send that data back to the website owner when you visit.

 

So what kind of data can be collected, for what purposes, and should you accept cookies; All of these are important questions that we will answer in the following lines.

 

If you're browsing the web and see a pop-up asking you to accept cookies, you've already come across this repeated decision. While a simple click on the Accept button to accept cookies may seem harmless at first glance, there is much more to it than just a button press. We don't mean that accepting cookies is a bad thing, it depends on which site is asking you to agree or decline who will have access to your browsing data and what they will do with it, as well as whether rejecting cookies will affect your ability to use this site or not.

 

Keep in mind that the cookies that sites create and store on your browser vary from site to site, as some cookies are placed by first parties such as the sites themselves that you visit, while others are placed by third parties such as advertisers affiliated with the sites. Therefore, because of the potential that cookies may carry a risk to users' data, sites are now focusing more on asking you first to accept their cookies.

 

Why do websites ask you to accept cookies?

 

The real reason behind this is completely legitimate and is to implement the articles of the Data Privacy Protection Act that govern online data tracking for the sake of transparency. This data privacy law is known as the European General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR (for short General Data Protection Regulation) and is a law drafted and passed by the European Union in 2018 to ensure the privacy and security of internet users' data. Institutions with websites within the European Union are also subject to strict rules governing personal data collected from users, requiring public disclosure of data collection methods and purposes, and the encryption of collected data.

 

The GDPR requires all multinational companies to submit an opt-in where website owners obtain the user's permission to use cookies before they proceed. The user's web browsers are then the place to store these cookies. This opt-in is designed to give users greater control over their data, knowing that information is collected if they first give their consent. Failure to comply with this can result in fines for the website owner, which has contributed to more websites sending notifications asking to accept cookies to ensure they comply with the law.

 

Do you have to accept cookies every time?

 

There are reasons for you to agree to accept cookies or to decline. When making a decision, it's helpful to understand two key questions: Should you accept cookies if a site requests them? The simple answer is no, you do not have to accept cookies in any form whatsoever. Laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are designed to give you control over your data and browsing history. The only downside to refusing these cookies on any site is that you will not receive the full user experience meaning that some of the site's functions will not work such as the ability to log in, or display ads tailored to your interests...etc.

 

In some scenarios, it may be beneficial for you to accept cookies. To understand why cookies are useful, it is important to understand the data a cookie may contain which includes: site name, unique user identifier, browsing habits, and history, personal preferences and interests, links clicked, website visits, time the amount you spend on that site, account login information, including your username and password, your IP address, personal data such as your phone number and address, what you have purchased from shopping sites.

 

Of course, not all of these files are collected from one site, so we indicated at the beginning that cookies differ from one site to another. But in general, companies can use cookies to their advantage, and in some cases to your advantage, too. To illustrate, let's highlight the ways accepting cookies can help you:

 

● Browsing the site with its full functionality: The first feature is very simple, without agreeing to cookies, some websites will not give access to the full functions and services they provide, as cookies help perform those functions, and not as a punishment for refusal.

● Keeping you logged in: Cookies can be useful because they help sites remember you and they can tailor your browsing experience to your interests - making your browsing experience faster and better. This is especially useful when shopping online. For example, when you visit a website again, it can remember the cart items you haven't purchased yet.

 

When you should not accept cookies

 

There are some scenarios where you may not want to accept or keep cookies, here are some examples:

 

● Visiting unencrypted sites: You should not accept cookies when you are on an unencrypted website - one where the padlock icon is not visible next to the website address. Why is this dangerous? If the website is not encrypted, there is no security to protect your data. This unsecured access may allow third parties such as hackers to steal cookies from your browser, and intercept personal information that would otherwise be kept confidential, such as credit card details and other private information, making you more vulnerable to online crimes such as identity theft.

● Slow down computer speed: Storing new cookies in your browser over and over may slow down your computer. Cookies take up disk space, which may affect the speed of your computer.

● Flagged cookies: Antivirus software may flag suspicious cookies, in which case you should not accept them or should delete them from your browser.

● Use of Private Information: If you share sensitive data such as banking information, you must decline the use of cookies to keep it secure. This is the kind of personally identifiable information that, if intercepted by the wrong parties with bad intentions, can help fraudsters commit online fraud. Personal information should always be kept private and shared only when absolutely necessary and with the highest levels of privacy and security in mind.

 

So the next time a site asks you to accept cookies, feel free to decline the request if you want to, and you'll still be able to browse the web more privately than before.