Cookies & Privacy: Should You Delete Them?

TL;DR

Deleting cookies can improve your privacy and security, but it’s not a magic bullet. It breaks tracking across websites, forces you to re-login more often, and sometimes affects website functionality. Regularly clearing them is a good habit, alongside using browser privacy settings and extensions.

Understanding Cookies

Cookies are small files websites store on your computer. They remember things like login details, shopping cart items, or preferences. There are different types:

• First-party cookies: Set by the website you’re visiting directly. Generally less problematic for privacy.
• Third-party cookies: Set by a domain other than the one you’re visiting, often used for advertising tracking across multiple sites. These are the biggest privacy concern.
• Session cookies: Temporary and deleted when you close your browser.
• Persistent cookies: Remain on your computer for a set period.

Why Delete Cookies?

1. Reduced Tracking: Third-party cookies are used to build profiles of your browsing habits, allowing advertisers to target you with personalised ads. Deleting them limits this tracking.
2. Privacy Improvement: Removing cookies prevents websites from identifying you across sessions (though other methods like IP address and browser fingerprinting still exist).
3. Security Benefits: While not a direct security fix, clearing cookies can remove potentially compromised data if a website has been hacked or infected with malware.
4. Space Saving: Cookies accumulate over time and can slow down your browser.

How to Delete Cookies

The process varies slightly depending on your browser:

Google Chrome

1. Click the three dots (menu) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
3. Select Cookies and other site data.
4. Choose a time range (e.g., ‘Last hour’, ‘All time’).
5. Click Clear data.

You can also use Chrome’s developer tools:

Application > Storage > Cookies

Mozilla Firefox

1. Click the three lines (menu) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
3. Under ‘Cookies and Site Data’, click Clear Data….
4. Select Cookies and Site Data, then click Clear.

Microsoft Edge

1. Click the three dots (menu) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services.
3. Under ‘Clear browsing data’, click Choose what to clear.
4. Select Cookies and other site data.
5. Choose a time range and click Clear now.

Safari (macOS)

1. Go to Safari > Preferences > Privacy.
2. Click Manage Website Data….
3. Select the websites you want to remove cookies for, or click Remove All.

Automatic Cookie Deletion

Many browsers offer features to automatically delete cookies:

• Chrome: Enable ‘Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome’ in Settings > Privacy and security.
• Firefox: Set Enhanced Tracking Protection to ‘Strict’ or configure custom cookie rules in Settings > Privacy & Security.
• Edge: Use the ‘Delete browsing data on close’ option in Settings > Privacy, search, and services.

Downsides of Deleting Cookies

• Frequent Logins: You’ll need to re-enter your username and password for websites you visit regularly.
• Website Functionality Issues: Some sites may not work correctly without cookies (e.g., shopping carts might reset).
• Personalised Experiences Lost: Preferences and settings stored in cookies will be removed.

Beyond Cookies: Other Privacy Measures

Deleting cookies is just one step. Consider these too:

• Privacy-focused browsers: Brave, DuckDuckGo Browser offer built-in tracking protection.
• Browser extensions: uBlock Origin blocks ads and trackers; Privacy Badger learns to block unwanted trackers automatically.
• VPNs: Virtual Private Networks mask your IP address.
• Regularly update your browser: Security patches often address privacy vulnerabilities.