What are internet cookies and what happens when you accept or reject them

These are not your usual sweet, hard or soft biscuits that you bite with a sip of tea or coffee. 

Computer cookies, or internet cookies, are small text files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you and your browsing activity. 

When you visit a website, the website's server may instruct your browser to store a small piece of information called a computer cookie

This cookie is designed to store a record of your website visit and how often you visit it, what you do on a website, your username and password, and your preferences for a website. 

This is an example of how those cookies work:

When you visit a website, the browser sends a request to the website's server for the page you are looking at.

A pop-up often appears to request your consent before cookies are stored. Cookies are set by the website through the browser using HTTP headers or JavaScript. Modern browsers typically store these cookies in an internal database rather than a single file.

When you revisit the website, your browser sends the HTTP cookie back to the server in the Cookie header of its request.

The server retrieves the information stored in the HTTP cookie and uses it to personalize your browsing experience.

Cookies have benefits for the users and the website owners.

Users have personalized experiences and can streamline their browsing experience since the website remembers their login information.

Cookies try to match your preferences for what you want to read, see, or purchase.

Website owners get insights into user behavior and understand how people use their websites.

"Privacy concerns have been raised because some websites use cookies- especially tracking or third-party cookies - to compile detailed profiles of users' browsing activity. 

By understanding and by adjusting your browser's cookie settings or using privacy-focused browser extensions, you can control how cookies are stored and shared, helping to protect your personal information.

Using a VPN can provide additional anonymity but does not directly affect how cookies are stored on your device.

Rejecting non-essential cookies helps prevent personalization and tracking, which may require re-entering details like login information or language preferences each time you visit a site. 

However, some core website functions, such as staying logged in or remembering cookie consent choices, may require essential cookies. If all cookies are rejected, site functionality could be limited.

UK’s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has previously issued guidance that organisations must make it as easy for users to "reject all" advertising cookies as it is to "accept all".

Websites can still display adverts when users reject all tracking, but must not tailor these to the person's browsing.