What are cookies and why do we put up with them? Well, in part because we have to. If you want to use the Internet, which is kind of essential for daily living in many countries, you have to accept what the powers-that-be dictate. And a lot of what they dictate is based on their desires to track us and monitor us and get inside our brains, and then, using that data, advertise to us.
Granted, there are functional cookies that do good things - keep us signed in when we want to be signed in, and keep the items in our "cart" for checkout. But over time, the number of cookies in your browser can accumulate like lint in a dryer. Clicking on the three-dot bar on Chrome and then the gear symbol for "settings" and then "privacy and security" you can clear all cookies, cached data, and browsing data. This doesn't mean others still don't have a history of your browsing data stored online.
And of course, if you "clear all data" it likely will log you out of whatever sites you are on. No big deal - in most cases it just means you have to log back in (and they reset those cookies again).
If you are not embarrassed by what you browse for, I guess it is not a big issue. But it is creepy wondering whether some stranger or "big brother" is looking over your shoulder while you are surfing the Internet.
Most browsers sort of suggest that you disable "3rd party tracking cookies" as they may be used by people you don't know to track you across the web.
Tracking cookies, and especially third-party tracking cookies, are commonly used as ways to compile long-term records of individuals' browsing histories — a potential privacy concern that prompted European[3] and U.S. lawmakers to take action in 2011.[4][5] European law requires that all websites targeting European Union member states gain "informed consent" from users before storing non-essential cookies on their device.
But they never recommend disabling cookies entirely:
Block all cookies (not recommended)Sites can't use cookies to improve your browsing experience, for example, to keep you signed in or to remember items in your shopping cart
Sites can't use your cookies to see your browsing activity across different sites, for example, to personalize ads
Features on many sites may not work
Half the time, you go through all these gyrations and the "article" is little more than re-stating the headline five or six times. There is nothing of value to be gained from these sites. And that is sad - basic information isn't readily available, which is maybe why people opt for "fake news" instead. I am sure "Infowars" is probably easier to read online than Reuters.
Some folks argue that if you put a "." after the "com" on a site with a paywall, it will blast past the paywall. I have tried that and, in some instances, it seems to work. In others, not. Sometimes, with a slow connection, you can stop the loading of a site (hitting the "X" by the URL bar) before the paywall detection kicks in. Sometimes, but I think they fixed that bug now. It was a feature!
When I disabled all cookies, some sites do weird things. I tried going on Reddit (the website, not the app) and it won't display any comments for some reason. Actually, that is a good thing, as the comments on any site add little and detract a lot from whatever it is the site is posting. Speaking of Reddit, it is interesting how they try to pressure you to download the app. Certain "subreddits" will not load (any subreddit with a naughty word in the title, such as "fuckcars" for example) but instead you will get a plea to load the app. And if you browse more than x number of entries, it will force you to load the app or get the hell out.
I suspect they want you to load the app as it allows them to more clearly track who you are and what you are looking at. This data, for some reason, is deemed to be of the utmost value these days. I guess it is because they know - they now really know - that public opinion is malleable and can be easily manipulated to whatever nefarious ends they want - to sell you a gaudy and overwrought SUV or to get you to root for the invasion of a country, or to elect a leader who will sell your country down the road for mere pennies. Can you believe that Marie Le Stylo has a shot at winning in France - in the middle of a war? Collaborateur! Collaboratrice! Traiteur! But then again, I guess France has a history of that sort of thing. Garçon! More fromage for my cheese-eating surrender-monkey friends!
And now they have a run-off election. Gosh, I'm glad they aren't burdened with a two-party system like we are!
But I digress.
I guess we are stuck with these "cookies" and we just give our blubbering thanks to Google or Microsoft or Firefox that we are allowed (still) to block the really, really nasty cookies, at least for the time being. I mean, the government claims they cannot track down terrorists or fraudsters online, but they can tell if I have been logged on to clownporn.com. I mean, it just isn't fair!
Now, I know what some are going to say - "You can use a VPN to surf the Internet and remain anonymous!" and maybe that is true - if you are in a country like Russia or China where "Wikipedia" is considered verboten. And I suppose it is a good option if you are doing something illegal or downloading naughty things online. I'm doing neither, so the hassle doesn't seem worthwhile.
Besides, it just seems that not having your privacy invaded should be the default mode of operation, not some obscure hoop you have to jump through and be tech savvy to do it. But of course, if that were the case, a lot of "free" content online might dry up. Or maybe Google will make a few billion less than before.
In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to periodically clear out those old cookies, browser history, and cached data, like the way we used to "burn out the carbon deposits" on our old cars. Not much else you can do, it seems.
