DO YOU WANT A COOKIE?

Sorry we meant internet cookies. How many times have you gone on a site and a pop up asking you to "accept cookies" comes up and you don't know what it means . You click it like you're trying to swat a fly away from your view. Let's fix that. #thread.

A cookie is basically a text file saved on your device when you visit a website. It stores the website's name, and also a unique ID that represents you as a user. So if you go back to the website it can greet you like an old friend. This means companies can tweak their websites..

...to suit you, because they know some information about you already. What info? Well info like the amount of time you spend on a website, the links you click while using the website, the options, preferences or settings you choose and even items in a shopping basket...

These companies want to improve the experience for users. But we bet as you read the types of info they collect, you started feeling exposed. Hence, privacy concerns that come with cookies. This is why there are laws that require companies to get your explicit consent to collect

...your data in the form of pop-ups.

Do I have to accept cookies? No, you don't. You can decline or ignore it. But annoyingly, you can't use some websites unless you accept cookies. Maybe because the website can't work well without you accepting cookies.

If you're so worried about privacy, using Incognito Mode on a web browser will stop cookies from being stored or updated temporarily. So yeah incognito is not only for "bad things". But don't do bad things. It's Easter!