Managing cookies part-2

What can I do to manage cookies stored on my computer?

Different browsers offer differing ways to configure your browser's cookie settings.

Due to the wide range of differences among differing websites' privacy policies, many browsers allow for universal privacy settings which users can choose from.

Users choose differing privacy settings based on their differing privacy concerns. Most commercial and/or professionally-created websites like Yahoo and Google have privacy policy pages that disclose how the sites handle, gather, and/or pass on user information to third parties. These are known as “P3P” features (Privacy Preferences Platform).

Some modern browsers have a feature that will analyze website privacy policies and allow a user to control their privacy needs. These are known as "P3P" features (Privacy Preferences Platform). Get more information on P3P.

If the commercial website you are visiting lacks a privacy policy, be very careful with any information you enter into any forms within the site.

You can easily remove any cookies that have been created in the cookie folder of your browser. For example, if you are on Windows machine, here are the steps on how to use Windows Explorer to erase cookie files:

* Click on 'Windows Explorer'
* Select the 'Search' button on the tool bar
* Enter “cookie” into the search box field for 'Folders and Files'
* Choose 'My Computer' in the 'Look In' drop down menu
* Click on 'Search Now'
* Select and open the folders that are retrieved
* Click to highlight any cookie file
* Click the 'Delete' key to erase the cookie file

If you don't have Windows Explorer, click the “Help” function on your “Start” button and enter “cookies” to search for information on how to locate the folder.

There are a number of ways to manage cookies. You can clear cookies, prevent cookies, delete cookies and enable cookies at your will and for different circumstances. If you use different computers in different locations you will need to ensure that each browser is adjusted to suit your cookie preferences

If you are using Firefox 2.0+ / 3.0+ / 4.0+/ to disable cookies:

a)      Go to 'Tools' in the menu bar

b)      Click on 'Options'

c)       Click on 'Privacy Tab'

d)      Disable the box that says 'Accept Cookies From sites'

To clear existing cookies:

a)      Go to 'Tools' in the menu bar

b)      Click on 'Options'

c)       Click on 'Privacy Tab'

d)      Click on "Clear Now"

e)      Select "Cookies"

f)       Click on "Clear Private Data Now"

This procedure will stop sites from installing cookies on your Firefox browser.

If you are using Google Chrome to disable cookies:

a)      Go to 'Tools Menu'

b)      Click on 'Options'

c)       Click on 'Under the Hood'

d)      'Cookie Setting' should be selected. Once done select 'Block all Cookies'

e)      Now all cookies should be blocked on your Google Chrome

To clear existing cookies:

a)      Go to 'Tools Menu'

b)      Click on 'Options'

c)       Click on 'Under the Hood'

d)      Under 'Privacy' section select "Show Cookies'

e)      A new window should open called 'Cookies' In here you can see all the cookies within your Google Chrome Browser.

f)       Click on "Remove All" to remove all traces of cookies

g)      If you wish to only remove a certain cookie, simply highlight and click "Remove"

Managing Cookies part-1

What is an Opt-Out cookie?

Opt-out cookies are cookies created by a website on your browser folder that enables you to block that same website from installing future cookies. The opt-out cookie tells the website not to install third party advertiser or other cookies on your browser. This prevents the third party ad server from tracking your page preferences within a website or among websites within their network. The drawback to using opt-out cookies is that they are site specific. They can only block cookies from a specific server and won't block cookies from other websites. To do generalize blocking, you can manage your cookies via your browser's cookie settings.

Many of the biggest third party ad serving companies offers opt-out cookies to users.

What is an Opt-Out cookie?

These are essentially cookies used to avoid cookies. Accepting an opt-out cookie blocks future cookies being installed on your browser by a particular website server or advertiser. It essentially lets you declare that you do not wish to participate in targeted ad delivery, profiling or otherwise have your web browsing tracked. An opt-out cookie will only block cookies from a particular server and is not a generic tool to block cookies from any site you visit. However, you can manage cookies via your browser settings.

The major third party ad serving companies offer web users the ability to accept an opt-out cookie.

What is a cookie profiling?

Cookie profiling, also called web profiling, is the use of persistent or permanent cookies to track a user’s overall activity online. This tracking does not just happen when you are on a particular site, but it occurs the whole time you are browsing. This kind of profiling activity is often done by marketers who buy advertising rights on thousands of popular websites in order to collect and collate cookie information and create a single “profile” of a user. Internet advertising, as it is called, targets potential customers based on the manner they browse the Internet. This is the very reason why most websites flash banner ads on their pages. This matter may not be a big deal for some, but others take their privacy seriously and are uneasy about being “followed around” and profiled.

Why do cookie profiling?

Cookie profiling is the only way for marketers to target potential customers and obtain a possible product purchase from them. By knowing a user’s browsing habits, including sites visited, age, marital status, and political and religious affiliations, they can show him or her advertisements that are appealing, advertisements that he or she will care to patronize. This is a certain way for marketers to increase their profit by widening their customer base.

How is cookie profiling done?
Websites store cookies by automatically storing a text file containing encrypted data on a user’s machine or browser the moment he or she lands on a page online. Whether it is a permanent or a temporary cookie, the idea is to create a “log” of the user to facilitate future visits to the said site. When these cookies are collected to create a certain idea about a user, that is called cookie profiling, or web profiling. Collated data may include browsing habits, demographic data, and statistical information, which are what marketers are after in order to mark a user. Cookie profiling is performed by advertisers, but the cookies they need to create these profiles are obtained from several online sources, mostly from administrators of popular sites receiving millions of traffic monthly. These administrators collect cookie data and offer them to marketers for extra profit.

Implications of cookie profiling.

Cookie profiling is an advantage for marketers because it empowers them on their advertising efforts. The more users are targeted based on the products they like, the higher the chance they will make a purchase. Additionally, cookie profiling can be used maliciously, for instance, stalking on certain individuals in order to victimize them. Cookies can also help solve crimes, especially now that Internet crimes are becoming rampant. In fact, many governments are using social networking sites to track online criminals, and some of them are being caught using information contained in cookies.

Although you cannot prevent people from creating a profile of you using cookies, you can still protect your privacy in several ways. There are several free programs you can utilize to identify companies trying to store cookies on your machine, or programs you can use to delete hidden cookies on your system. Ghostery is a free add-on you can install on your browser; it detects cookies from 500 companies trying to spy on you, gives you background information about them, and let you block those cookies whenever you want. To build an impenetrable privacy wall, you can install session and cookie cleaners, such as CCleaner, on your computer and schedule them to clear your browser and machine from these privacy bugs. Another way is to configure your browser to prohibit accepting cookies from untrusted sites

OVERVIEW OF COOKIES

What is a cookie?

Cookies are usually small text files, given ID tags that are stored on your computer's browser directory or program data subfolders. Cookies are created when you use your browser to visit a website that uses cookies to keep track of your movements within the site, help you resume where you left off, remember your registered login, theme selection, preferences, and other customization functions. The website stores a corresponding file(with same ID tag)to the one they set in your browser and in this file they can track and keep information on your movements within the site and any information you may have voluntarily given while visiting the website, such as email address.

Cookies are often indispensable for websites that have huge databases, need logins, have customizable themes, other advanced features.

Cookies usually don't contain much information except for the url of the website that created the cookie, the duration of the cookie's abilities and effects, and a random number. Due to the little amount of information a cookie contains, it usually cannot be used to reveal your identity or personally identifying information. However, marketing is becoming increasingly sophisticated and cookies in some cases can be aggressively used to create a profile of your surfing habits.

There are two different types of cookies:

Session cookies - these are temporary and are erased when you close your browser at the end of your surfing session. The next time you visit that particular site it will not recognize you and will treat you as a completely new visitor as there is nothing in your browser to let the site know that you have visited before.

Persistent cookies - these remain on your hard drive until you erase them or they expire. How long a cookie remains on your browser depends on how long the visited website has programmed the cookie to last.