cookies

Beyond handling some of the outcomes of cookies through the site, you can also try to keep up with new cookies by continually deleting them from your browser history.

Most browsers have menu items like “Options” or “Settings.” Go here to learn how to manage your cookies in Firefox, go here to learn how to manage your cookies in Internet Explorer, and go here to learn how to manage your cookies in Chrome.

Keeping up with cookie management can be hard and time-consuming, especially if there are certain cookies you want to keep and therefore you don’t want to delete everything in one click. Sites send out new cookies all the time, so if this is your preferred method, you will have to consistently go into your browser settings. Some browsers now offer “Incognito Mode” or “Private Window.” These options allow you to browse “privately.” For example, read about Chrome’s Incognito Mode here.

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It probably isn't weird for you to see an ad like this if you use Facebook. What may seem weird sometimes, however, is how Facebook seems to know what clothing you were just browsing or what book you just bought. Because of the cookies that the site attaches to your browser, Facebook can know where you have been online.

You provide valuable data to Facebook when you do other things online that its cookies can pick up on. The site can show you targeted ads that remind you of sites that you were reading or products that you were thinking about purchasing. For Facebook, the real payoff is when you click on one of their ads. This is how the advertiser gets paid and how Facebook knows that their marketing methods are working.

Enacting agency in this instance is pretty simple—you don’t have to click on Facebook’s ads. If you are reminded of a product, you can make your way back to your shopping cart on your own. If you want to see what the website is that pops up, you can type the URL into your browser. You can also click the “x” on ads and report to Facebook the reason you don’t want that content on your page anymore. If there is an ad that you find offensive, for any reason, let Facebook know.

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If you don't want to take the time to check and delete your browser's cookies, you can also install different plug-ins and software that block cookies and other data collectors for you.

For example, a plug-in like Ghostery can be downloaded to your browser. You can then go into the settings and tell the plug-in which sites to block, what kinds of cookies to block, and so on.

Something to keep in mind is that many of these plug-ins may end up blocking things that you don't want them to block, making it hard to use certain functionalities on the site. It is up to you to find the plug-in that you like and the combination of settings that works for you.

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A cookie is a token (think of it as a little bug) that attaches to your web browser. Sometimes these cookies can work to our advantage; they save passwords and form information so that we don't have to retype names and addresses that we use all the time. Sometimes this becomes problematic because if we are on a public computer, we may not want this information saved. Besides filling in fields for us, some cookies also send information back to their creator. Often, this information includes our web browsing history. For example, Facebook attaches cookies that collect and send back information regarding all of the sites that you have visited, merchandise you have browsed, and terms you have searched. And, because cookies attach to your browser, you don't have to be logged into Facebook for the cookies to collect and send information.

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