"We use our own and third party cookies to improve our services". Surely you have read this text hundreds of times when you visit a web page. That is because ePrivacy, a Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive for the EU issued in 2009.
It is nothing other than warning you that the web page you are visiting uses certain programs that will be installed in your browser to detect your activity and preferences. At first this sounds like a good thing, but many times it's not so much.
Pay attention to the next post that we have prepared. These paragraphs will help you to know what this is about Cookies law. Not without first knowing what the famous computer cookies are. Let us begin!
What is a Cookie and what are these types of files for?
A Cookie is software developed by companies or people who are used to collect user information while browsing on a certain website. There are different kinds of these computer cookies.
There are those that are used to make the page work technically well. That is to say, they serve to save the preferences that the navigator has so that when you re-enter that website, you don't have to re-enter all your data. It is very useful to improve the user experience, since the information about email, language and other data necessary to log in in the future is saved.
The other type of Cookies that exists It is the one that does not serve to improve the operation of the web. These are used to obtain information from the user and then use this data to advance in advertisements that are often generated even in invasive. But this is not the only problem that "cookies", since Cookies that are used to track and obtain private information can also be installed in the browser and then this data will serve to steal the user's data and use them for criminal purposes.
How do Cookies work? Main features
Cookies are installed in the browser, which allows to quickly save different data related to the choices made by the user when visiting a certain site. In this way, they can be used for technical purposes or for economic or criminal purposes.
The main feature of these small files is their expiration. That is, Cookies disappear from the browser when the user delete manually or it does it automatically with some special tool. Or, at the moment that user session ends or when it exceeds a deadline established in the programming codes. Those that can be minutes, months or years.
Its use is especially intended to identify the user. When the person visits a page hosted on a certain server, it controls the identity of the browser through the records previously established by Cookies.
Another of the characteristics that a "Technology cookie" is that can be easily altered by intruders. In other words, people with a greater experience in computing can access these small files saved in the user's browser and modify the contents. In this way, adverse results are generated, both for the website and for the person who is browsing.
They do not take up too much space on the storage disks nor do they modify, in principle, browser operation. But as time goes by, a significant number of files are generated that forge the slowness of computer or mobile operations.
One of the most important limitations that Cookies have is that they do not identify the person, but work according to user accounts. That is, if the same person has on the same computer 2 or 3 browsers that he uses frequently and accesses the same sites, in each of them you will have a multiplicity of cookies. This happens because they cannot identify that it is the same person. This also increases a significant risk for the user's private data.
What are the risks of allowing websites to use Cookies in our browser?
Among the risks that Cookies have is the theft of them. This happens due to their operation as they work between the server and the computer sending and receiving these software for identification.
The problem arises when browsing protocols that are not secure, as is the case of HTTP. In these situations the user's personal data can be seen by other participants who can listen to the server-computer conversation through a Packet sniffer.
This serves so that, altering or stealing the user's preferences, may create a third-party benefit without authorization from the person who owns the private information. You must keep in mind that if you use encryption of the information, this protocol will not be efficient since there will be servers that can receive the data without authorization.
Other dangers that exist when the information is sent to the server and are modified along the way Cookies are to be hosted on the hosting where the site is hosted and from there make the harmful changes.
How to enable and disable Cookies in any browser?
In order to enable or disable Cookies and have your data protected, it is necessary to perform some steps, according to the browser you use.
Let's get to know these processes for the most important browsers:
Mozilla
Once you have Mozilla Firefox open you should do this:
- In the upper right corner of your screen you will find an icon with three horizontal lines, which represents the menu. You must click on this option.
- Click on "Options".
- Then choose "Privacy".
- Find the section "Record" and click on the arrow to display a menu.
- Choose "Use custom settings for history."
- When you click on this section, you should look for the option "Accept Cookies".
- At this time you must choose the options you want, since you can uncheck this box and disable the installation of these software. Instead, if you have checked the option, you must choose "When to accept Third Party Cookies" and "Keep up to what time."
Chrome
With the Google browser you must follow this guide:
- Choose "Menu", located in the upper right part represented with 3 dots.
- Select the option "Setting".
- Then you must search "Advanced settings" and click on it.
- Click on "Privacy".
- Search "Content settings".
- In the section of "Cookies" you will have to choose "Allow local data to be stored (recommended)". At this time you must choose whether or not you want to enable Cookies. And if you want to block site data or allow this data to be saved.
- When you are finished you can close the tab and the changes will be saved.
Opera
Open Opera and do the following:
- Go to option "Opera" in the upper left of the browser.
- When the menu is displayed select "Setting".
- Then you must click on "Preferences".
- Look in the tab of "Advanced Options", in the section "Cookies".
- Click on "Accept Cookies".
- In this part of the process you will have to choose your preferences, if you want to enable or disable Cookies.
Safari
On the Mac you must open the operator and do this process:
- Select the option from the menu "Setting".
- Click on "Privacy & Security".
- Click on "Cookies".
- Choose "Allow from visited sites", if you want to enable Cookies. Otherwise, you must choose "Always block" or look for another option that you have available according to your preferences.
Edge
Go to your Edge browser and do this step by step:
- Choose "Tools".
- Click on "Internet Options".
- Find the option "Privacy".
- Choose "Setting" and click on it.
- Click on "Advanced Options".
- Activate or not if you want to block or allow Cookies.
What relationship exists between the RGPD Law and the Cookies of the web pages?
Cookies law, so called colloquially to the a Directive 2009/136 / EC of the European Parliament, effective as of the end of 2009, establishes that Internet sites that use Cookies must guarantee the protection of users' private data.
With this we advance that For the installation of Cookies, the express authorization of the users is required., except those that are necessary to improve the user experience, such as the tools used to record information about language, login, password, etc. But as we know, these software not only contain technical Cookies, but there are also those programs that are not necessary, such as Tracking, segmentation, analysis and social media cookies.
Since this Directive did not clarify some specific situations and left implementation of the provisions in accordance with their laws to the member states of the European Union, was established in May 2018 European Data Protection Regulation (RGPD), also called EPrivacy Regulation.
With this new regulation, which is mandatory for all member countries of the EU, it is established that the user needs to give express consent to the acceptance of Cookies that are not technically necessary. In addition, consent is not only expressed by having a box checked, but there must be express authorization for the browser to know who will use their private data and for how long the Cookie will last on their computer. This arose out of settled case law from a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
In October 2019 the CJEU ruled on the installation of Cookies definitively and firmly leaving its regulations from the previous year. Therefore, it is currently necessary that Internet sites have accurate information about those text files that are not necessary and that are part of these computer cookies and do not serve for their proper functioning, neither the website nor improves the user experience.
In this way the Opt-in technique is created. With which Cookies are not installed immediately when an Internet site is opened, but the user is the one who decides on the storage of the files. Therefore, the "Opt-out" which refers to the installation from the beginning of Cookies, the user being able to claim after this process happens.