More information about cookies

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in your browser when you visit almost any website. The purpose of a cookie is to allow the website to remember your visit when you return to browse that page. Although many people are not aware of it, cookies have been in use for over 20 years, since the first web browsers for the World Wide Web appeared.

What is NOT a cookie?

It is not a virus, a Trojan, a worm, spam, spyware, nor does it open pop-up windows.

What information does a cookie store?

Cookies do not usually store sensitive information about you, such as credit card or banking details, photographs, ID numbers, or personal information. The data they store is generally technical in nature, such as personal preferences, content personalization, etc.

The web server does not associate you as a person, but rather associates you with your web browser. In fact, if you usually browse the web using Internet Explorer and then try accessing the same website using Firefox or Chrome, the website will not recognize you as the same person, because it is actually associating the data with the browser, not the individual.

What types of cookies exist?

Technical cookies: These are the most basic cookies and allow, among other things, the identification of whether a user is a human or an automated application, whether a user is anonymous or registered, and they perform basic tasks necessary for the operation of any dynamic website.

Analytics cookies: These collect information about the type of browsing you are doing, the sections you use most, products viewed, time of use, language, etc.

Advertising cookies: These display advertising based on your browsing activity, country of origin, language, etc.

What are first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are those generated by the website you are visiting, while third-party cookies are generated by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

What happens if I disable cookies?

To help you understand the impact of disabling cookies, here are some examples:

• You will not be able to share website content on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network.

• The website will not be able to adapt content to your personal preferences, as is common in online stores.

• You will not be able to access personal areas of the website, such as My Account, My Profile, or My Orders.

• Online stores: you will not be able to make online purchases; they will have to be made by phone or by visiting a physical store, if available.

• It will not be possible to personalize geographic preferences such as time zone, currency, or language.

• The website will not be able to perform web analytics on visitors and traffic, making it harder for the site to remain competitive.

• You will not be able to write on the blog, upload photos, post comments, rate or review content. The website will also not be able to determine whether you are a human or an automated application posting spam.

• Targeted advertising will not be displayed, reducing the website’s advertising revenue.

• All social networks use cookies; if you disable them, you will not be able to use any social network.

Can cookies be deleted?

Yes. Cookies can not only be deleted, but also blocked, either generally or specifically for a particular domain.

To delete cookies from a website, go to your browser settings, locate the cookies associated with the relevant domain, and proceed to delete them.

Cookie settings for the most popular browsers

Below are instructions on how to access cookie settings in the Chrome browser. Note: These steps may vary depending on the browser version.

1. Go to Settings or Preferences via the File menu or by clicking the customization icon in the top-right corner.

2. You will see several sections; click Show advanced settings.

3. Go to Privacy → Content settings.

4. Select All cookies and site data.

5. A list of all cookies will appear, ordered by domain. To make it easier to find cookies for a specific domain, enter part or all of the address in the Search cookies field.

6. After filtering, one or more entries related to the selected website will appear. Select them and click the X to delete them.

Internet Explorer

1. Go to Tools → Internet Options.

2. Click Privacy.

3. Move the slider to adjust the desired privacy level.

Firefox

1. Go to Options or Preferences, depending on your operating system.

2. Click Privacy.

3. Under History, choose Use custom settings for history.

4. You will see the option Accept cookies; you can enable or disable it according to your preferences.

Safari for macOS

1. Go to Preferences, then Privacy.

2. You will see the option Block cookies, where you can adjust the type of blocking you want.

Safari for iOS

1. Go to Settings, then Safari.

2. Go to Privacy & Security, where you will see the option Block cookies to adjust the desired level of blocking.

Android browsers

1. Open the browser and press the Menu button, then Settings.

2. Go to Security & Privacy, where you will find the option Accept cookies to enable or disable it.

Windows Phone browsers

1. Open Internet Explorer, then More, then Settings.

2. You can now enable or disable the Allow cookies option.