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So, blocking third-party cookies will usually have a minimal impact on your overall web experience. Note that blocking third-party cookies may still break some sites, but these are very much the minority. Not only are first-party cookies genuinely useful (to the point of being essential for many websites), but they are not the ones that track you. So, by blocking all cookies, you may find that many websites break so that you either can’t use them at all, or they will have reduced functionality.įor most people, then, blocking only third-party cookies is a good privacy compromise. Many websites rely heavily on first-party cookies to provide basic functionality and improve visitors’ experience. Most browsers offer three cookie filtering options: allow all cookies, allow third party cookies, or block all cookies.
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This article shows you how to enable these restrictions on all major browsers on all major platforms. While some people don’t mind this (indeed some even like being shown ads for stuff they like!), this kind of intrusive web tracking is clearly a violation of our privacy.Īlmost all modern web browsers feature privacy settings that allow you to restrict or block cookies from being stored on your device. They then use this to target you with ever more personalized ads. Over time (and usually combined with information gained by other means), these cookies allow advertisers to build up a detailed model of what you do (and what you buy!) on the internet. They, therefore, do not improve your experience on that website but are instead used by advertisers to track your web browsing history. These are cookies hosted on a website, which belong to other websites. The problem is that they can also be used for more sneaky stuff. They are also used to remember things like your shopping basket when you revisit the site. They perform many useful functions, such as knowing that you visited the site before and remembering your preferences for that site.
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Cookies are small files which websites store on your computer.
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