There are two different types of cookies: First-party cookies and third-party cookies.
The main difference between them is that first-party cookies are only saved by the website you’ve been on, while third-party cookies are used to share your data with other actors.
This is often done in order to track your internet activity in order to show you tailored ads.
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Third-party cookies can be offensive
News24 have been in contact with Peter Mackhémedia expert at Sveriges Annonsörer, who explains the problems that third-party cookies can cause.
“The disadvantage of (third-party cookies) is that you are followed online by all kinds of people when you have done something and it is uncertain who is taking part in your browsing,” writes Peter Mackhé in an email to Nyheter24.
He further explains that third-party cookies can violate users’ privacy by accessing and disseminating sensitive information.
“The biggest problem is privacy and that you have no control over who gets your information. Often it may not matter, but in some cases if you have sensitive information, it can even be offensive.”
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The benefit of third-party cookies
According to Peter Mackhé, third-party cookies can sometimes be beneficial for you as a private person, especially when you are looking to buy a product on the Internet.
“One advantage of third-party cookies is that you can get offers from competitors with perhaps a better price for what you are looking for.”
Peter Mackhé notes, however, that the tracking caused by third-party cookies can often follow you long after you have purchased the product.
“But the tracking is not that smart, so you are often followed with the same information for several weeks even though you have already bought the item or solved your problem,” he writes to Nyheter24.
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How to turn off third-party cookies
Many browsers have the default setting to disallow third-party cookies.
The world’s most used browser, Google Chrome, on the other hand, allows third-party cookies by default, but it is possible to turn them off. Find out how to turn off third-party cookies in Google Chrome here.
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Then you should not accept cookies
So third-party cookies can be good to refuse – but what about first-party cookies?
They are often important to approve for a site to function as it should.
However, there are two situations where you should always refuse cookies, regardless of the type.
Firstly, you should always refuse cookies on insecure and unencrypted websites – otherwise there is a risk that your personal information will be stolen by fraudsters or other malicious actors, according to Bitdefender.
You can recognize an insecure website by looking for “https” in the address bar. If the website does not have “https” in front of the URL, it is unencrypted and not safe to visit.
Secondly, it may be good to refuse cookies on websites where you enter sensitive information, for example your bank details.
Then you prevent the information from being stored in your browser and possibly misused in the event of a data breach.
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