Cookies! If you are thinking about those crunchy chocolate cookies then you are such a foodie! Welcome to the era of technology where cookies mean tiny files which store the data of the user when he/she visits your website. These are basically used by website owners, marketers, and advertisers to grab user’s information that is used for many purposes. The best part is, privacy laws have stringent actions here. According to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), your cookies are not allowed to collect user’s data without their consent. This is where cookie banner work begins. Different CMP’s (Consent Management Platforms) are available to provide you with these banners. Now there are various types of cookies and each one of them performs different functions. Let’s read more about it!
First, you need to know what actually Cookies are?
Cookies are small data files that are downloaded on your computer and they store or capture data of the user. As soon as the visitor steps in your site, cookies capture user information. This information can be anything, their email, address, contact etc.
What is meant by Cookie Consent?
As the name suggests, cookie consent means taking the user’s consent before capturing their data. For this very purpose, a cookie consent banner is used. It is mandatory to have user’s permission in order to collect their information. This is required by privacy laws such as GDPR. These laws are much concerned with the privacy and protection of user’s data. You cannot ignore the fact that customers in the 21st century are now well aware of their privacy rights. Moreover, you surely will never wish to get in legal troubles.
What are various types of Cookies?
The two main types are:
First-party Cookies:
As the name indicates, remember it with a simple trick. Imagine visiting a tea party and the host is the first person you will meet at the door. The same goes with first-party cookies. These cookies are the ones which are installed directly by the domain you are visiting. The data collected by these cookies directly belong to the website owner.
Third-party cookies:
Keep that tea-party scenario in mind. This is the person you are going to meet by the reference of your host. Third-party cookies are the ones which use the data of the visitor for various purposes and these cookies are placed by other cookie vendors, say Google. These cookies are more concerned about the visitor’s behavior and their choices. These are mostly used by advertisers and marketers to find out the target audience.
Other important types are as follows:
- Session Cookies
These cookies retain information of the user as long as the user stays on the website. These cookies vanish when the browser is closed. Session cookies are also known as temporary cookies.
- Persistent Cookies
These cookies store information even after the browser is closed. These are also called permanent cookies.
- Super Cookies
These cookies are free from the restrictions of browsers. They are stored in the user’s device. They stay in the user’s device even after the browser is closed and cookies are deleted. These cookies are also known as flash cookies.
- Zombie Cookies
As the name is indicating the meaning, imagine a creepy zombie that never dies with your gunshots. Zombie cookies have the potential to recreate themselves even after they are deleted. Such cookies are the most difficult ones to manage and detect.
Conclusion
Getting compliant with privacy laws is a basic need for website owners. You need to be aware about the functioning of cookies and their types so that you know which cookies are operating on your site.