Today’s topic is cookies. Not the delicious, sweet chocolate chip kind of cookie, but an internet cookie that controls people’s data in the online space. Last April, more than 54 billion cookies of internet users were leaked onto the dark web, risking the private information of internet users. Therefore, the Sungkyun Times (SKT) aims to delve into a cookie recipe that is not as sweet as it looks.
Cookie Recipe
-Freshly Baked by the Web
Internet cookies are small pieces of data sent from a website that are stored on a user’s domain by the user’s web browser. The term “cookie” is derived from “magic cookie,” a concept in the computing field that refers to pieces of information sent and received through the internet. The original purpose of cookies was to be a reliable mechanism for websites to remember user information or to record browsing activities. They manage login information, remember user preferences, and enhance browsing efficiency by remembering personal settings. By storing user settings and login statuses, the browser sends the cookie back to the server when the user revisits the site, enabling the website to recognize the user and customize their experience based on the stored information. Every time a user visits a website that uses cookies, the cookies associated with that domain are sent to the server along with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request. Cookies are categorized into two types: first-party and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are directly set by the website that a user is visiting, while third-party cookies are set by another domain. Cookies can also be categorized by duration; session cookies are deleted when the browser is closed, while persistent cookies keep the data even after the browser is closed. As such, internet cookies are crucial in enhancing the user’s web browsing experience and optimizing website functionality.
-What Makes a Good Cookie?
Cookies offer substantial benefits that enhance and personalize the internet experience in many ways. One of the advantages of cookies is their role in facilitating personalized browsing experiences. Cookies enable websites to remember user preferences, such as theme settings, language choices, and even complex customizations on platforms such as online forums or news portals. This personalization makes navigation more intuitive and aligned to individual wants and needs. Additionally, cookies are pivotal in the realm of targeted advertising. They enable advertising customization, which allows users to see advertisements that are more likely to be relevant to their interests. This customization not only enhances user experience by reducing irrelevant content but also increases the effectiveness of advertisements for businesses. Cookies also greatly enhance convenience through information storage and auto-fill capabilities. For regular users of e-commerce sites or services that require logging in, cookies make these processes faster by remembering login states and auto-filling personal and payment information.
Bad Cookies
-Bittersweet Cookies
Despite internet cookies’ advantages, they pose significant risks related to privacy breaches and potential misuse. Most websites prompt users to accept these tracking mechanisms, often with a simple “accept all” button that many click without a second thought. This ease of acceptance has led to a lack of awareness about how personal information is used and shared online. Accordingly, privacy infringement is one of the most glaring issues associated with cookies. Since cookies track detailed information about user’s browsing habits, preferences, and personal data, they can lead to a massive collection of personal information without the user’s complete understanding, often stored in databases that could become targets for data breaches. Cookies can also be particularly vulnerable to specific types of cyber-attack. For instance, cybercriminals can hijack cookies and extract sensitive data, leading to unauthorized access to personal information and user accounts. In 2020, an American health insurance company’s customers’ cookies were hijacked, leaking personal information to hackers. Similarly, session hijacking can occur when attackers intercept cookies to steal authentication tokens, allowing them unauthorized access to users’ sessions. The prolonged retention of information in cookies further exacerbates these risks. Persistent cookies remain on a user’s device for an extended period, sometimes indefinitely, making them a goldmine for cybercriminals. Such cookies can facilitate identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities.
-An Old Cookie
What was once an essential tool for user tracking and website personalization, internet cookies are now being increasingly viewed as a relic of older web technology. In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, more advanced and secure technologies are replacing the capabilities of cookies. One significant drawback is their size limitation; cookies are typically restricted to around 4KB per cookie. This size constraint limits the amount of data that can be stored, making cookies unsuitable for more complex or data-intensive applications. Another functional issue arises when cookies are sent with every HTTP request to the server, which can lead to increased latency in web applications. This overhead is particularly problematic for high-traffic websites where reducing unnecessary data transfer is crucial for performance optimization. A data scientist at LG Display explained, “Cookies are a step behind the current technology. They are not as smart or useful anymore.” As the internet continues to evolve, the shift from cookies toward these more sophisticated technologies indicates a significant transformation in how user data is handled and utilized across websites.
Reject All
-Saying No to "Accept All"
The tech industry must strive to innovate with more secure alternatives in response to the significant privacy concerns associated with traditional internet cookies. Google’s Privacy Sandbox is leading this change, offering tools such as Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) to enable anonymous advertisement targeting without compromising personal privacy. FLoC aims to replace traditional cookie-based tracking methods by grouping users into cohorts based on similar browsing behaviors. This method allows advertisers to target advertisements without directly accessing individual user data, effectively anonymizing personal information yet still delivering relevant advertising. Furthermore, legislation regarding the data security of cookies must be established. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act in the United States (U.S.) push for stricter consent requirements and more robust data protection practices. These regulations compel companies to be more transparent about their data usage, including cookies, and ensure they have legitimate grounds for data collection, thus enhancing privacy protections. In line with this, increased use of consent management platforms that provide users with more detailed control over what cookies they allow on their devices is necessary. These platforms go beyond the simple “accept all” button, offering granular choices for different types of cookies and explaining their purposes clearly. By integrating these new technologies and adhering to stringent regulatory standards, the industry can effectively tackle the significant privacy issues historically associated with cookies.
-Cookieless One Day
As the world moves toward a cookieless era, various innovative substitutes are being developed to replace traditional cookies. Now, many developers are turning to local storage to overcome the restrictive size limit of cookies. This change offers significantly greater storage capacity directly within the user’s browser, allowing for more complex data storage without the performance penalties associated with sending data back to the server with each request. Furthermore, strategies like using HTTP/2 and WebSockets instead of cookies are becoming prevalent due to their high speed and efficiency in data transfer. HTTP/2 allows for multiplexing and server push, which reduces the number of connections needed and increases data transfer efficiency. On the other hand, WebSockets provide a two-way interactive communication session between the user’s browser and the server, enabling data to be sent as soon as it is available without waiting for a request from the browser. The LG Display data scientist also commented, “The technical downfalls of cookies must be overcome by replacing them with substitutes such as WebSockets, keeping the beneficial element of cookies while eliminating the shortcomings.” By implementing these solutions, developers can ensure smoother, faster, and more secure user experiences, effectively bringing data management in line with current technological standards.
Cookies — they are not as sweet as they sound. Their future will depend on the success of true online privacy and information transparency. This ongoing transformation of cookies is not just a technical challenge but a significant opportunity to redefine digital ethics and user trust on a global scale. Kingos, keep an eye on the oven because a whole new batch of freshly baked cookies is about to be served.