What’s a Cookie?

A Cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in your browser when you visit almost any web page. The usefulness of Cookie is that the web is able to remember your visit when you return to surf this page. Although many people do not know the Cookies have been in use for 20 years, when the first browsers for the World Wide Web appeared.

 

What is NOT a Cookie?

It is not a virus or a Trojan, not a worm, or spam, or spyware, or open pop-up windows.

 

What information stores a Cookie?

Cookies do not usually store sensitive information about you, such as credit card or bank account information, photographs, your ID or personal information, etc. The data stored are technical, personal preferences, content personalization, etc.

The web server does not associate you as a person but your web browser. In fact, if you regularly browse with Internet Explorer and try to browse the same web with Firefox or Chrome you will see that the web does not realize that you are the same person because you are actually associating the browser, not the person.

 

What kind of Cookies exist?

• Technical Cookies: These are the most basic and allow, among other things, knowing when there is browsing a human or an automated application, when an anonymous user navigates and one registered, basic tasks for running any dynamic web.
• Analysis Cookies: Collect information about the type of navigation being done, the sections most used, consulted products, time period of use, language, etc.
• Advertising Cookies: Display advertising based on your navigation, your country of origin, language, etc.

What are own Cookies and third-part Cookies?

Own Cookies sare generated by the page you are visiting and third-part are generated by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

 

What happens if I disable Cookies?

To understand the scope that may have to disable cookies shows some examples:

• You can not share content of this site on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network.
• The web site will not adapt content to your personal preferences, as often happens in online stores.
• You can not access the personal area of the web, such as My Account, or My Profile or My orders.
• Online stores: It will be impossible to buy online, they will be calling or visiting the physical store if you have one.
• Not be possible to customize your geographic preferences as time zone, currency or language.
• The website can not perform web analytics about visitors and web traffic, making it difficult to be competitive anywhere.
• You can not write on the blog, you can not upload photos, post comments, evaluate or rate content. The web may not know whether you are a human or an automated application that publishes spam.
• No advertising may show sectioned, which will reduce the web advertising revenue.
• All social networks use Cookies, if disabled you can not use any social network.

Can I delete Cookies?

Yes. Not only eliminate, also block, general or particular to a specific domain.
To remove Cookies from a website should go to your browser settings and there you can find the associated domain in question and proceed to its elimination.

Cookies settings for popular browsers

Here’s how to access a particular Cookie from Chrome browser. Note: These steps may vary depending on the browser version:

1. Go to Settings or Preferences via the File menu or by clicking the customization icon that appears above right.
2. You will see different sections, click the Show Advanced Options option.
3. Go to Privacy, Content settings.
4. Select All Cookies and site data.
5. A list of all Cookies ordered by domain appears. To make it easier to find Cookies of a particular domain enter partially or totally the address in the field Search Cookies.
6. After making this filter will appear on the screen one or more lines with the requested Web Cookies. Now just select it and press the X to proceed with removal.

To access the Cookie settings from Internet Explorer browser follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

1. Go to Settings, Internet Options.
2. Click Privacy.
3. Move the slider to adjust the level of privacy you want.

To access the Cookie settings from Firefox browser follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

1. Go to Option or Preferences depending on your operative system.
2. Click Privacy.
3. In History choose Use custom settings for history.
4. Now you will see the Accept Cookies option, you can turn on or off according to your preferences.

To access the Cookie settings from Safari para OSX browser follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

1. Go to Preferences, then Privacy.
2. Here you will see the option Block Cookies to fit the type of lock to perform.

To access the Cookie settings from Safari para iOS browser follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

1. Go to Settings, then Safari.
2. Go to Privacy and Security, here you will see the option Block Cookies to fit the type of lock to perform.

To access the Cookie settings from Android devices follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

1. Run the browser and press the Menu button, then Settings.
2. Go to Segurity and Privacy, here you will see the option Allow Cookies to check or uncheck the box.

To access the Cookie settings from Windows Phone devices follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

1. Open Internet Explorer, then More, then Configuration.
2. Now you can enable or disable the Allow Cookies box.