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More information about cookies

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in your browser when you visit almost any website. The purpose of the cookie is to enable the website to remember your visit when you browse that page again. Although many people are unaware of it, cookies have been in use for 20 years, since the first web browsers for the World Wide Web appeared.

What is a cookie NOT?

It is not a virus, Trojan, worm, spam, spyware, nor does it open pop-up windows.

What information does a cookie store?

Cookies generally do not store sensitive information about you, such as credit card or bank details, photographs, your national ID number, or personal information, etc. The data they retain is of a technical nature, personal preferences, content customization, etc.

The web server does not associate you as a person, but rather your web browser. In fact, if you typically browse with Internet Explorer and try browsing the same website with Firefox or Chrome, you will see that the website does not realize you are the same person because it is actually associating the browser, not the person.

What types of cookies are there?

  • Technical cookies: These are the most basic and allow, among other things, knowing when a human is browsing versus an automated application, when an anonymous user is browsing versus a registered one—basic tasks for the operation of any dynamic website.
  • Analytical cookies: They collect information about the type of browsing you are doing, the sections you use most, products viewed, time zone of use, language, etc.
  • Advertising cookies: They display advertisements based on your browsing behavior, country of origin, language, etc.

What are first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are those generated by the website you are visiting, while third-party cookies are generated by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

What happens if I disable cookies?

To help you understand the implications of disabling cookies, here are some examples:

  • You will not be able to share content from that website on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network.
  • The website will not be able to adapt content to your personal preferences, as is common in online stores.
  • You will not be able to access the personal area of that website, such as “My Account,” “My Profile,” or “My Orders.“
  • Online stores: It will be impossible for you to make purchases online; they will have to be conducted over the phone or by visiting the physical store, if one exists.
  • It will not be possible to customize your geographical preferences such as time zone, currency, or language.
  • The website will not be able to perform web analytics on visitors and traffic, which will make it less competitive.
  • You will not be able to write blog posts, upload photos, publish comments, rate, or score content. The website will also be unable to distinguish whether you are a human or an automated application posting spam.
  • It will not be possible to display targeted advertising, which will reduce the website’s advertising revenue.
  • All social networks use cookies; if you disable them, you will not be able to use any social media platform.

Cookie settings for the most popular browsers

Below we explain how to access a specific cookie in the Chrome browser. Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version:

  1. Go to Settings or Preferences through the File menu, or by clicking the customization icon that appears in the top right corner.
  2. You will see different sections; click the option labeled Show advanced options.
  3. Go to Privacy, Content Settings.
  4. Select All cookies and site data.
  5. A list will appear showing all cookies organized by domain. To make it easier to find cookies from a specific domain, enter part or all of the address in the Search cookies field.
  6. After applying this filter, one or more lines with the cookies from the requested website will appear on the screen. You simply need to select it and click the X to proceed with its deletion.

To access the cookie settings in the Internet Explorer browser, follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Go to Tools, Internet Options.
  2. Click on Privacy.
  3. Move the slider to adjust the privacy level to your desired setting.

To access the cookie settings in the Firefox browser, follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Go to Options or Preferences, depending on your operating system.
  2. Click on Privacy.
  3. In the History section, select Use custom settings for history.
  4. You will now see the Accept cookies option, which you can enable or disable according to your preferences.

To access the cookie settings in the Safari browser for OSX, follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Go to Preferences, then Privacy.
  2. In this section, you will see the Block cookies option, allowing you to adjust the type of blocking you wish to apply.

To access the cookie settings in the Safari browser for iOS, follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Go to Preferences, then Safari.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security, where you will see the Block Cookies option to adjust the type of blocking you wish to apply.

To access the cookie settings in the browser for Android devices, follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Launch the browser and press the Menu key, then Settings.
  2. Go to Security and Privacy, where you will see the Accept cookies option to check or uncheck the box.

To access the cookie settings in the browser for Windows Phone devices, follow these steps (they may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Open Internet Explorer, then More, then Settings.
  2. You can now check or uncheck the Allow cookies box.