What should I do about cookies? Every website I go on, there’s an option about cookies. It’s annoying. I always look for the ‘reject all’ button but it’s invariably hidden away.

I feel like sites shouldn’t need to store anything on my device, and I certainly don’t like the idea of Google/Facebook et al putting extra cookies there purely to track me.

Am I being paranoid? Should I just click to allow the cookies?

I’m sure my browser (Safari on both iOS and MacOS) blocks tracking cookies anyway. So does it even matter what I select?

WWSTWD?

(STW would probably actually plant a cookie but fail to ‘Remember Me’ anyway)

I go thru and make sure a site cannot set cookies. My browser also stops many cookies

I find that many sites use the same thingies for doing this so often its remembered my choices (presumably a cookie 🙂 ) so I often only have to click one button but some sites do make it tricky

I almost never use google anything. If I do its logged out and no cookies allowed

Whereas I just say “ok” to everything fans just get on with life. Nothing is different.

Am I being paranoid?

Yes.

(STW would probably actually plant a cookie but fail to ‘Remember Me’ anyway)

Probably because you’re desperate to break the site’s functionality.

Cookies aren’t anything new or special. A cookie is simply a name:value variable pair that web sites have been dropping to provide persistence in your browsing experience since the mid 90s. You might not like the idea of advert tracking or Facebook tracking but on the big long list of Things You Should Be Worried About it’s just above running out of clean socks.

b230ftw
Full Member
Whereas I just say “ok” to everything fans just get on with life. Nothing is different.

Yip, life is too short to be worrying about cookies. It’s a friggin stupid law.

Should allow an accept all option in browsers rather than the silly messages.

Interesting development in the ‘cookie’ er thing.

You used to be able to reject all cookies, witrh the exception of security/functional, but you could at one time reject those also, though you got the warning the site might not load, but now theres a “Special purposes and features” that you cannot reject.
These are –
1. “Ensure security, prevent fraud, and debug
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent fraudulent activity, and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely.”
2. “Technically deliver ads or content”
Your device can receive and send information that allows you to see and interact with ads and content.”
3. “Match and combine offline data sources”
Data from offline data sources can be combined with your online activity in support of one or more purposes.
4. “Link different devices”
Different devices can be determined as belonging to you or your household in support of one or more of purposes.” This is direct tracking, so despite you not wanting the ad companies to track you, this allows them to do it and effectively makes a mockery of having a reject option on everything else.
5 “Receive and use automatically-sent device characteristics for identification
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends, such as IP address or browser type.” Again, personalized tracking.

These special features and purposes appear to me as a workaround for the market/ads etc to continue tracking and sending you unwanted and directed data.while at the same time being used to create a virtual ‘Wallet’ of your habits and browsing characteristics.
“Virtual wallet” is their description, not mine.

All you can do is periodically clear out the cache’s, but on average it appears just normal browsing, you end up with about 1gb of cookies, and thats a lot of cookies, but then again theres literally tens of thousands of ad and analytic data companies gathering your data. It’s all money and we know what they’ll do for a slice of that pie.

Anyone who allows tracking is not nearly paranoid enough in my book. I do not want google to have all that data on me.

I just press allow all. Can’t be arsed scrolling through a list. I only really visit about five different sites any way and on my list of things to worry about it doesn’t even register.

I do not want google to have all that data on me.

I get the sentiment, but you know you’re shouting at the sky, right?

Anyone who allows tracking is not nearly paranoid enough in my book. I do not want google to have all that data on me.

^^ This has been added to Google’s file on you.

The thing is the data on you is jus your online profile, that’s all. I agree with others, really annoying having to accept cookies, I really don’t care. If you’re that bothered just browse everything in private/porn mode on your browser.

Anyone who allows tracking is not nearly paranoid enough in my book. I do not want google to have all that data on me.

I do nothing on a computer that I care about becoming public knowledge. My employer has not come after me for my occasional political rants, that Nigerian prince no longer stays in touch, and lonely Russian housewives no longer want to offer me photos or tablets for my impotence.

I do not use google unless there is no other way. My browser does not 3rd party cookies, I block all trackers. My phone has location turned off. I do as much as practical for me. I ain’t as paranoid as one pal who deletes all cookies everytime he leaves a site.

You know Google don’t have to get data from you to have a profile about you though, right?

Anyone who allows tracking is not nearly paranoid enough in my book.

An alternative perspective is that anybody who worries about tracking is far too paranoid.

What is the “bad thing” that you are worried about happening through website cookies tracking?

I do not use google unless there is no other way. My browser does not 3rd party cookies, I block all trackers. My phone has location turned off. I do as much as practical for me. I ain’t as paranoid as one pal who deletes all cookies everytime he leaves a site.

Doesn’t matter – once you have had the vaccine Bill Gates will know your every move! Windows 95 will once again rule the earth!

As a counter perspective – if you are running any sort of online business then the tracking cookies used by Google etc will let you understand how people work through your website, what they click, how long they visit for etc. That leads to a website that is easier for people to use. If you lose all of the cookie data then you can’t optimise your website in the same way so ultimately that leads to a worse user experience.

So by blocking cookies you are making the internet worse. Fact!

Fighting a losing battle if you try and stop all websites from tracking you.

You could try Privacy Badger

Anyone who allows tracking is not nearly paranoid enough in my book. I do not want google to have all that data on me.

Rubbish.
In a previous job I had quite extensive training on cyber security, online safety and was taught all sorts of info on tracking etc as I was doing a job where my personal safety was at risk and documents/online activity was very strictly controlled and monitored. At no point was cookies ever a problem.
It must be quite miserable to be so paranoid.

The only way I would ever reject them would be if I knew I was susceptible to online advertising, especially if I was a recovering gambling or shopping addict, but even then you’d still get adverts but not tailored to you.

I do not want google to have all that data on me.

Imagine the job the spy has of going through all the billions of users’ data to find what Jeremy has been up to. Must be exciting.

Shirley this could be the only benefit of Brexshit, getting rid of the annoying pop-ups?!?

It wouldn’t be so bad if the site remembered my choice instead of asking me every. single. f***ing. time.

What annoys me is Legitimate Interest, it seems like it’s something new to be a workaround (as mentioned previously). There should always be a straightforward reject all option

What are they going to do with the data that is wrong or evil? They’d be hard pressed to do anything with mine tbh. Unless they can weaponise my forum history on here or my visits to The Far Side and Pitchfork’s albums review page then they’re wasting their time. Whoever they are

It wouldn’t be so bad if the site remembered my choice instead of asking me every. single. f***ing. time.

It would if you didn’t reject the cookies 😆

It would if you didn’t reject the cookies 😆

I generally click on the recommended set of cookies 🤷‍♂️

I do nothing on a computer that I care about becoming public knowledge.

I think/hope you understand thats not the point 😕

My life’s so boring at the moment it would put the Google analytics team to sleep.

I thought this was going to be a thread about the imminent arrival of the new issue of STW and how we’ve just about got enough time to subscribe in order to receive it. I mean, it must be important as I keep getting that ad even though I’ve DISMISSed it about twenty times already.

The ePrivacy directive (or cookie law) is to allow people to decide if they want to allow certain types of information to be stored, or read from their device. As its a directive, it has to be put into local law, so you can see the UK PECR section on cookies here

It actually applies to reading or writing data to users device, so even covers reading screen resolution to adjust a website to how you are viewing it.
It allows for essential cookies, so if you use a web shop, they have to place data for when you log in or the shopping basket (that is how it remembers the goods you have selected). Those don’t need consent, but you must be informed.
Anything else (ads, personalisation, tracking) is not essential, and must be made optional. The site cannot place these cookies on your device until you consent. You can do a banner with a “accept all” button, but if you select the customise option, all optional cookies must be switched off by default, and the user must individually opt-in as they would like.
A good example is Amazon.co.uk, open an incognito browser window and play with the cookie banner options.

An update to the law making this a regulation was supposed to go out with GDPR, but they could not get agreement, and an updated draft of the law was supposed to be ready in Dec 2020, but has been delayed.

A problem with calling this a cookie law is that people only look to cookies, when reading the actual law above it should also apply to things like web beacons, pixel trackers etc.

I think/hope you understand thats not the point 😕

Oh yes, but I still have no concerns about use of my data.

I understand why people are concerned about it, but I sometimes wonder if all the “I don’t want “them” to have my data” is the thin end of the Bill Gates conspiracy wedge.

Imagine the job the spy has of going through all the billions of users’ data to find what Jeremy has been up to. Must be exciting.

“Does this guy ever stop arguing?”

As a counter perspective – if you are running any sort of online business then the tracking cookies used by Google etc will let you understand how people work through your website, what they click, how long they visit for etc. That leads to a website that is easier for people to use. If you lose all of the cookie data then you can’t optimise your website in the same way so ultimately that leads to a worse user experience.

So by blocking cookies you are making the internet worse. Fact!

tough shit

I just ( like any sensible person) do not wish unaccountable companies to collect data on me. same as I use the protections in GDPR to prevent companies using my data to attempt to direct marketing to me

so far I have had a couple of hundred pounds off companies for breaches of GDPR and have had half a dozen companies censured and forced to change their practices to comply with the law because of illegal use of data I have had to give them. for example my regulatory body the NMC sold my name and email address to a marketing company who then used this for targetted mailshots. I have no option about giving them this data. GDPR gives me control over how they use it. The NMC was forced to apologise and change its practices after my complaint. I have also had scottish gas, scottish power, vodafone censured for illegal use of data

Yo may not think this stuff matters but I do. Same as I do not want them to know where I am

Of course its not a safety issue – its a privacy issue.

It is important to ignore the right kind of advert though.

So are the EU regulators that pushed GDPR through paranoid?

I do not think they are dong anything particularly threatening or nasty with the data. I just prefer that I control who has access to my data.

To a great extent it works. I get no directed mail advertising, I get no marketing phone calls or texts or emails. NOne.

just prefer that I control who has access to my data.

“that I’m aware of” is the unwritten bit at the end of that statement TJ the thing is, you have zero knowledge of or control over any of the zombie cookies currently sat in your device that are hiding from virus checkers and what data they’re scraping from you.

To a great extent it works. I get no directed mail advertising, I get no marketing phone calls or texts or emails. NOne.

I don’t either and the control of those things didn’t involve doing anything to my cookie settings.

For those on the side of wanting to get some privacy on the web, this is a good place to start…
https://www.eff.org/

top two options in the tools menu is a good start.

TJ, any company that knew the first thing about you would know that it’s futile to send you marketing data as you’re unaffected by it.

In seriousness though, you’re comparing apples with pineapples. GDPR refers to personally identifiable data held by companies. Google (perhaps not the best example but let’s roll with it) only ‘knows’ what it already knows. If you go to an unrelated website and start seeing Google-powered adverts for bike parts rather than tampons it’s because it’s reading a cookie from another site which was previously set by Google itself. Neither site can read Google’s cookies and Google cannot read the sites’ own ones. To do so would be a huge security hole and very definitely a cause for concern.

And sure, over time this could build up into a fairly accurate profile. But… so what? They aren’t “collecting” anything, it’s not stored anywhere other than your device(s) so is trivial for you to delete. It’s not shared with anyone because without your device for context it’s meaningless (do you think there’s a high resell value to know that there’s a random bloke somewhere in Scotland who uses Firefox and likes tandems and tampons?)

Or you could just block advertising completely. And this time next year you’ll be wondering where all the independent content providers have gone.

Cougar – I do understand that. the good thing about GDPR is it gives yo a choice

I do not think that most companies use them for anything malign but given the choice I simply prefer that I control who has access to that info.

Do you think the legislators who pushed GDPR are paranoid?

@tjagain
But yet you use Facebook?????!!!!!