Question about cookies

Sapphire

I just wondered what anyone else thought about 'cookies' being 'placed' on their computers by corporations and other 'interested parties'?

I've tried deleting 'cookies' from my computer by clearing history, then going to preferences and deleting them there. This has the effect of logging me out of several sites and very temporarily removing the cookies. However, when I log into even one of them (and even if I don't), they reappear, as happened just now when I logged in again to MSE, with some of the 'cookies' appearing to have nothing to do with MSE. Who is giving corporations my data? There was one recent case broadcast loudly about a company 'mining' people's private data, but it seems to me that many companies are doing it.

It seems also that for the 'privilege' of buying something online, one receives the added 'privilege' of invasive technology being placed on one's computer (surely that should be illegal). For instance, both facebook and twitter reappear in my cookies box, even though I dislike both and use neither.

When it comes to 'targeting ads' through the use of the invasive technology, I detest ads and resent them being foisted upon me, so use an ad blocker, and see very few. (If there is anything that will put me off buying a product, it is an ad for it.) So why would anyone want to put 'cookies' on my computer, other than to find out personal information about me?

I just wondered whether anyone else has worries about corporations and other 'interested parties' having access to their personal data, and passing it to others?

Yes, I know there appear to be 'opt-out' boxes in the 'conditions' on some websites (though some seem to have avoided having even those), but they are made so complex, and it is doubtful that they will be effective in stopping said interested parties from gaining access to one's personal data.

I'm thinking of contacting my MP about this, but thought I would post a query here before I do. :cool:

PasturesNew

Your MP has far more important things in the constituency to worry about than a few cookies on your PC.....

You have the ability to control cookies if you CBA.... I'm not bothered. Nobody's interested in me/my data.

There's far more direct stuff going on with all those "loyalty cards" - they know when you stop buying pies!

antrobus

Sapphire wrote: »

I just wondered what anyone else thought about 'cookies' being 'placed' on their computers by corporations and other 'interested parties'?...

I delete cookies. All of 'em. At least once a day.

Sapphire wrote: »

...
I just wondered whether anyone else has worries about corporations and other 'interested parties' having access to their personal data, and passing it to others? ...

I wouldn't say I worry about it. But I've always sought maximum anonymity online. No one is going to track me. And I never trusted Facebook from the get go. I do have a Facebook account, but it contains nothing.

LHW99

On the whole (with some exceptions) I don't particularly worry about cookies. I do however restrict scripts, and block most trackers (by Firefox addons).
It does rather grate with me that all the websites now are supposed to carry a banner saying "we use cookies, click the box to say that;s OK" - but if you DON'T say its OK, then the site won't work properly - so not actually a choice IMO.
GDPR seems to be going the same way.

Sapphire

LHW99 wrote: »

On the whole (with some exceptions) I don't particularly worry about cookies. I do however restrict scripts, and block most trackers (by Firefox addons).
It does rather grate with me that all the websites now are supposed to carry a banner saying "we use cookies, click the box to say that;s OK" - but if you DON'T say its OK, then the site won't work properly - so not actually a choice IMO.
GDPR seems to be going the same way.

Thank you and antrobus for the helpful responses. However, I'm not able to delete cookies on my Mac (not a PC). As I said, they keep coming back. I think I may switch to Firefox; apparently it is easier to delete cookies from that than it is from Safari.

For me, it is an invasion of privacy; one I am concerned about, as are quite a few other people, I've noticed. I'm surprised that governments have not stepped in to ban these practices. Luckily, I'm small fry, and tend not to use the Internet that often; most often when I do, it's to check some facts for the books I'm working on, and no one is going to be able to do anything with that. I don't use social media (apart from this site, if you can call that social media), and don't buy often over the Internet. I think I'll do as antrobus does, and delete cookies once a day for the moment; it's just annoying to have to do that. I'll also visit as few sites as I can, so they don't have the opportunity to install unwanted items on my computer. Luckily, I am not hooked on the Internet, as are some people.

Sir_Robin

The primary legitimate reason for sites to put cookies is for authentication. Your browser needs to tell the website you are still logged in when you refresh a page. They were designed to store data temporarily to persist state across page refreshes and across pages on the same site. I do not know the details of tracking with cookies I have only used them for legitimate purposes.

Facebook have a whole host of tricks to keep tabs on you. The like; buttons on other sites happily tell Facebook what your doing if you click them or not! that is probably where the cookies are coming from . Same with the Login with Facebook buttons.

I do worry because the spying is getting out of hand and it is annoying how they corrupt legitimately useful things like cookies, Iframes, images, javascript to spy on you and persuade other websites like news sites to collaborate in the the spying through Like buttons, single sign on etc.

ukcarper

Sapphire wrote: »

Thank you and antrobus for the helpful responses. However, I'm not able to delete cookies on my Mac (not a PC). As I said, they keep coming back. I think I may switch to Firefox; apparently it is easier to delete cookies from that than it is from Safari.

For me, it is an invasion of privacy; one I am concerned about, as are quite a few other people, I've noticed. I'm surprised that governments have not stepped in to ban these practices. Luckily, I'm small fry, and tend not to use the Internet that often; most often when I do, it's to check some facts for the books I'm working on, and no one is going to be able to do anything with that. I don't use social media (apart from this site, if you can call that social media), and don't buy often over the Internet. I think I'll do as antrobus does, and delete cookies once a day for the moment; it's just annoying to have to do that. I'll also visit as few sites as I can, so they don't have the opportunity to install unwanted items on my computer. Luckily, I am not hooked on the Internet, as are some people.

Are you sure you can't block cookies on MAC you can on IPad and a quick google says you can on MAC.

Sapphire

ukcarper wrote: »

Are you sure you can't block cookies on MAC you can on IPad and a quick google says you can on MAC.

I have tried, on numerous occasions and in different ways, and if you look at the conversations on the Apple site, for example, so have others, but without much success. It's not easy. Even if you manage to delete them, as soon as you try a site they reappear, and many seem to have nothing to do with the site. When I re-logged on to MSE yesterday, for example, about 20 cookies magically reappeared on my machine.

And I don't know why facebook and twitter should be able plant cookies on my computer, when I never use those sites. :mad:

Sapphire

Sir_Robin wrote: »

Facebook have a whole host of tricks to keep tabs on you. The like; buttons on other sites happily tell Facebook what your doing if you click them or not! that is probably where the cookies are coming from . Same with the Login with Facebook buttons.

I do worry because the spying is getting out of hand and it is annoying how they corrupt legitimately useful things like cookies, Iframes, images, javascript to spy on you and persuade other websites like news sites to collaborate in the the spying through Like buttons, single sign on etc.

I never use facebook (or twitter), at least partly because of concerns about security, and am thus very surprised that it is able to plant these things on my computer. If corporations and other interested parties can get into your computer (presumably) and plant these things, they can surely breach your computer security in other ways. (I am not a computer expert, so don't know how all this works technically, which is probably what those responsible for using these methods are banking on.)

I'm onto the 'like' thing, completing 'surveys', and so on. I can see myself using the Internet only for essential things in future, and being ever more wary when I use it. Hopefully if enough people express their concerns about breaches of security and invasion of privacy, and are turned off using sites for buying things, for example, something will be done to stop these practices.

westernpromise

Websites abuse data like Standard Oil used to abuse its monopoly; the situations seem analogous to me and the likely outcome will probably be similar.

MobileSaver

LHW99 wrote: »

websites now are supposed to carry a banner saying "we use cookies, click the box to say that;s OK" - but if you DON'T say its OK, then the site won't work properly - so not actually a choice IMO.

Disagree entirely, no-one is forcing you to visit a particular website, it is entirely your choice. If you don't want to abide by the site's rules then you can't go any further, again your choice.

Cookies are pretty much indispensable for most web sites to work properly so it's like turning up for a race track event day, getting in the car and then complaining you have no choice as they'll only let you go any further if you agree to wear a helmet and seatbelt.