"Do you want to accept cookies?" It's a question we get asked a lot online. Internet cookies, in the words of Microsoft, "are bits of data that are sent to and from your browser to identify you." They're small text files that are put in a folder on your computer every time you visit a website. They can be useful. If you're on a shopping site, cookies keep things in your shopping cart — without them, the cart would empty every time you clicked on a different link. They also help personalize a site based on how you've used it before — like your location preferences. And cookies let you stay logged into a site even when you've left it. But there are different types of cookies. Some cookies keep data about how often you've visited a website, how long you spent there and what you did while you were there. These cookies are used by the website to learn about how people are using it. And experts will say it's best not to accept "third-party cookies." These are created by advertisers, and they can track your internet use across different sites. That's why you might see ads for music lessons on Facebook after searching "how to play guitar" on Google. You can often choose to accept only "necessary" cookies on a website — though this may also mean you don't get some of the cookies that help with personalization. You may also choose to customize your cookie settings, which will let you choose which types of cookies you'd like to accept. If you don't want to do this every time, many internet browsers already block third-party cookies, or can be asked to do so. And if you're really worried, of course you can just delete all your cookies anytime you like!
