Preamble
We take your privacy very seriously, and always do everything we can to project you. We don’t use tracers or tracking cookies, we only use functional cookies that help user experiences. We don’t use Google Analytics (We have nothing against GA) or any tools that directly identify visitors. Our analytics methods are designed to gather anonymous data, protecting your privacy while still allowing us to understand website usage patterns. We utilize these anonymized data to understand how visitors engage with our content, without identifying any individuals. This helps us improve your experience and tailor our offerings. Also, we’ll collect the information needed to offer services, process your orders, and ensure delivery when you purchase physical or digital products from our website. Please, learn more about this and other ways we protect your overall privacy in detail here in our privacy notice
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About Cookies
Cookies have several uses. They help associate website activity with a specific user by generating a unique string that matches a user session with relevant data and content for that user. For example, when a user named “Alice” logs into her account on an e-commerce website, the website’s server generates a session cookie and sends it to Alice’s browser. This cookie tells the website to load Alice’s account content, so instead of seeing “Hello User,” she sees “Welcome back, Alice.”
There are several categories of cookies. Session cookies help track a user’s session and are deleted once the session ends. Persistent cookies remain in a user’s browser for a predetermined length of time, which can range from a few minutes to several years. Authentication cookies, necessary for security purposes, use secure protocols like HTTPS and encryption to manage user sessions by generating a unique string that associates user account information with a cookie identifier string.
Some cookies also help personalize a website by allowing it to “remember” user actions or preferences, enabling the website to customize the user’s experience. For example, if a user logs out of an e-commerce website, their username can be stored in a cookie and sent to their web browser. The next time they load that website, the web browser sends this cookie to the web server, which then prompts the user to log in with the username they used last time. This can come in handy if the user has forgotten their password.
Another category of cookies worth noting are third-party cookies, which belong to a domain other than the one displayed in the browser. While these cookies can be used for legitimate purposes like serving targeted ads or providing additional functionality on a website, they also raise concerns about user privacy and data protection. For instance, when a user does their shopping on “jeans.example.com”, the jeans.example.com origin server uses a session cookie to remember that Alice has logged into her account. However, Alice may not be aware that a cookie from “example.ad-network.com” is also stored in her browser and is tracking her activity on “jeans.example.com”. The cookie from example.ad-network.com is referred to as a third-party cookie.
It’s worth noting that cookies are typically stored directly in the user’s browser, but some browsers may use alternative methods to manage cookie storage. Additionally, secure protocols like HTTPS and encryption are often used to protect cookie data during transmission, ensuring the security of sensitive information.
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A Few Words of Advice
It’s essential to understand that cookies are not inherently good or evil. Like any powerful tool, they can be used for both positive and negative purposes. On one hand, cookies have revolutionized the way we interact with websites, allowing for personalized experiences and improved user engagement. They enable websites sites to remember our preferences, track our browsing history, and offer relevant recommendations. Without cookies, many of our favorite online services would not be possible.
However, it’s also important to acknowledge that cookies can be exploited by bad actors and unethical businesses to do harm. For example, cookies can be used to; (I)Track user behavior without consent, invading personal privacy, (II)Steal sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data, (III)Create targeted ads that manipulate users into making purchases they might not need or want, (IV)Monitor and profile individuals based on their online activities, potentially leading to discrimination, etc.
To protect yourself, here are examples of what you can do; (I)Be aware of the types of cookies being used on the websites you visit, if you notice any form unnecessary tracking, please opt-out. (II)You can use safe browser extensions or software that can help manage cookies more effectively. (III)You can Advocate for stricter regulations around cookie usage and data protection in your country of residence, (IV)You can also support businesses that prioritize user privacy and transparency. Always Remember that cookies are not inherently good or bad, they are just a tool – it’s up to all of us to use them responsibly.