Web cookie: Difference between revisions
start creation rough draft, unfinished!! trying to keep it simple with less complex wording for GA(general audience) consumers can understand |
mNo edit summary |
||
| (8 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
A web cookie, is a small chunk(s) of data served(shared) to the client(browser) that can be used for a variety of purposes. One of the most common being a website login identifier that serves a session cookie that is able to be sent back to the server to prevent needing to authenticate numerous times. The web cookie, has a bunch of other common names such as HTTP cookie, browser cookie, and cookie. | {{Incomplete}} | ||
A [[wikipedia:HTTP_cookie|web cookie]], is a small chunk(s) of data served(shared) to the client(browser) that can be used for a variety of purposes. One of the most common being a website login identifier that serves a session cookie that is able to be sent back to the server to prevent needing to authenticate numerous times. The web cookie, has a bunch of other common names such as "[[wikipedia:HTTP|HTTP]] cookie" (when set via that protocol), "browser cookie" (more general, can be set via [[JavaScript]])<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-30 |title=Document: cookie property |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/cookie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260310000519/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/cookie |archive-date=2026-03-10 |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=Mozilla Developer Network}}</ref>, and "cookie". For the sake of simplicity this article will be using the term "cookie" to represent all types of cookies. | |||
==How it works== | ==How it works== | ||
When a user(person) visits a website, you may be first prompted with user preferences such as what data can be used with the site. | When a user (person) visits a website, you may be first prompted with user preferences such as what data can be used with the site. That information is likely stored by your browser agent as a cookie so that information or popup will not show again. Cookies are often a good practice, as it offers clients a better experience when navigating their site when visiting. Of course there are a bunch of other cookies that do exist, but for now we will focus on a few categories that these cookies fall under | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+ | |+ | ||
!Cookie Type | !Cookie Type | ||
!Use Case | !Use Case | ||
! | !Risk | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Form Cookie | |Form Cookie | ||
|When using a site you may be required to fill out a form field, that information can be stored by your agent when making a purchases or even renewing your licence making the experience more streamlined the next time you plan on making additional purchases on a website like that. | |When using a site you may be required to fill out a form field, that information can be stored by your [[wikipedia:User_agent|user-agent]] (UA) when making a purchases or even renewing your licence, making the experience more streamlined the next time you plan on making additional purchases on a website like that. | ||
|Depending on implementation such as if cookies are not properly encrypted by your browser and site your using you may be at risk if a malicious actor decides to swipe your cookies which could also include password and saved payment information | |Depending on implementation, such as if cookies are not properly encrypted by your browser and site, your using you may be at risk if a malicious actor decides to swipe your cookies, which could also include password and saved payment information | ||
|- | |- | ||
|3rd Party Cookie | |3rd Party Cookie | ||
| | |These cookies can be used when companies have different registered domains or transferring the user, to prevent annoying information duplication, or joint partner domains that may be working with a third-party vendor. However these cookies are more often than not used as tracking indicators about user behavior and what other sites they visit. | ||
| | |Considering the risk is it worth having third-party cookies that silently track you? Many companies and brokers are ramping up their usage of tracking users with this metric along with [[Device fingerprint|browser fingerprinting]] to serve you [[Personalized ads|targeted ads]] based on what pages you look at or search for | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Authentication Cookie | |Authentication Cookie | ||
| | |Are often tied to accounts that you use to prevent having to re-login each time you need to do an action with your account. These are usually stored as session cookies, which generally have a shorter lifespan or even expire after your tab session has ended with the browser | ||
| | |These tend to be less risky, in cases where these [[wikipedia:Session_token|tokens]] are stored short-term and encrypted, can provide you with much needed convenience. But if your browser may be compromised by malware (such as a scam browser extension) your session [[wikipedia:Session_hijacking|cookies can be hijacked and used to access your account]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Tracking Cookie | |Tracking Cookie | ||
| | |Often malicious, but can be used to track sites performance and metrics based on reoccurring traffic and visits made, with minimal overhead | ||
| | |Usually, sites that try to access third-party cookies (to learn more about you) will also be adding their own. With this information, they can calculate value-based pricing and targeted products that you may have recently looked at in previous weeks or days, with a [[Fear of missing out|FOMO]] offer discount | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Preference Cookie | |Preference Cookie | ||
| | |Often, the least sensitive cookie on a site. This can be used to store specific preferences like a footer dismissal to how many results should show from a search to provide better functionality and efficiency, especially if the site has no account system. | ||
| | |While this could possibly be used to track you, the information doesn't necessarily give you away. Since many that do implement this are domain-specific cookies and not third-party cookies, as referenced earlier | ||
|} | |} | ||
==Why it is a problem== | ==Why it is a problem== | ||
==== Targeted advertising ==== | ====Targeted advertising==== | ||
{{Main| Personalized ads}} | |||
==== Value based pricing ==== | ====Value based pricing==== | ||
==== Cross Website tracking ==== | ====Cross Website tracking==== | ||
==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
* Honey using cookies to share new affiliate codes with other users | *[[PayPal Honey|Honey]] using cookies to share new affiliate codes with other users; this also had included many private exclusive discount codes that employees or veterans got for shopping at stores, costing businesses tons of money | ||
* Microsoft placing cookie tracking on school student devices https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/microsft_illegally_installed_cookies_ruling_austra_school/ | *[[Microsoft]] placing cookie tracking on school student devices<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Lindsay |date=2026-01-27 |title=Ruling: Microsoft illegally placed cookies on child's tech |url=https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/microsft_illegally_installed_cookies_ruling_austra_school/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260210101620/https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/microsft_illegally_installed_cookies_ruling_austra_school |archive-date=2026-02-10 |access-date=2026-03-16 |website=The Register}}</ref> | ||
* Imgur using tracking cookies to serve ads to users from third party sites [ | *[[Imgur]] using tracking cookies to serve ads to users from third party sites | ||
== External links == | |||
* [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Guides/Cookies Using HTTP cookies | MDN] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||