No, these aren't the homemade cookies that your grandma bakes you, or the Chips Ahoy ones you buy from the store. These are digital "cookies" that you may have heard of before, they are website-specific information that are stored on your device. Cookies can track your shopping history to recommend items you would like, but this comes at a cost: companies essentially track your information. But, it is important to distinguish two types of cookies, "First party cookies", and "Third-party cookies". First-party cookies are created by the website you are visiting, which is why most of the time you will be asked to accept cookies for a "better experience". First-party cookies are generally to make your experience better though, if you accidentally x-out the website while shopping, the items in your shopping cart won't disappear. They track your settings on the website, for example, if you change the language, the website will remember it when you visit back. However, Third-party cookies are where I believe there is a problem. These cookies are also generated by websites you visit, but these cookies track you across other sites, which is a blatant violation of privacy. If you have ever received ads that advertise something you searched for, it is probably because of Third-party cookies. These cookies can also slow down your computer as they are always tracking you.

This is of course a huge violation of privacy, and the EU has passed laws against this, such as the General Data Protection Regulation in 2016. However, the United States does not have a similar Federal law for Data Privacy. So, the next time you visit a new website and you are asked to accept or decline cookies, now you know what that entails.