The moment you open any website thing you see is usually a dialog box that says “Accept all cookies?” Most if not all of us click accept without much thought behind it because we just wanted the popup to get out of our faces.
But what most of us probably don’t know is that there is a whole industry behind that tiny button that specializes in tracking, advertising and data in general. I am going to break down what exactly happens behind the scenes when you click that button.
What Are Cookies?
A cookie is simply a small text file saved by your browser. That’s it. It isn’t a piece of software or anything greater. It’s pretty much like a sticky note that a website leaves on your computer so it can recognize you later.
Without cookies, the internet as we know it today would feel broken. Imagine logging into a website and being logged out every time you clicked a new page. Imagine adding items to a shopping cart only for them to disappear when you refresh. Cookies prevent all of that.They remember things like your login session, your language settings, and the items sitting in your cart. These are called first party cookies and they’re the reason websites feel (and actually are) seamless.
But you are probably wondering if cookies only do this very beneficial task, why is there a popup for them.
So Why Do Websites Ask for Permission?
The popup that we all know and love exists because of privacy laws. Regulations like Europe’s GDPR and California’s CCPA require websites to ask permission before tracking users.
The important part about this though is that the popup is not really about the helpful cookies that make the site work. Those are considered necessary and run no matter what you choose.
The popup is mainly about tracking cookies.
To understand what you’re agreeing to, you need to know the difference between first party and third party cookies. First party cookies are created by the website you are visiting. They help the site remember you and keep things functioning smoothly like we talked about earlier. These cookies are practical and expected. Third party cookies are different. They are created by other companies whose code is embedded inside the site you’re visiting. These companies include advertising networks and social media platforms to name a few. When you click “Accept All,” you allow these outside companies to place cookies in your browser too.
And those cookies don’t just stay on one website.
How You End Up Seeing Ads Everywhere
Imagine you are on Nike.com and you look at a pair of the newest Air Jordan models. The website contains ads from a large advertising network and when the page loads that network saves a cookie in your browser without you knowing it.
Later that day, you visit a completely different website like Youtube for example. That same advertising network is running ads there as well. When the page loads it checks your browser, finds its cookie, and recognizes you and your previous browsing history.
Now it knows you looked at the Jordans earlier.
That’s why the pictures of those same shoes suddenly follow you across the internet. This process that virtually every company in existence images in is called cross site tracking and it’s the real reason those cookie pop up banners exist.
Why the “Accept All” Button Is So Big
Websites make money from advertising and personalized advertising is far more valuable than random ads. When advertisers know your interests they can show ads you are much more likely or even guaranteed to click. That means companies pay more money to display those sorts of ads. In many cases, targeted ads are worth several times more than general ones. This is why cookie banners are designed in a way where The “Accept All” button is big and takes up the majority of the dialog box. The reject option usually takes a couple extra clicks or is hidden behind a separate menu. This design pushes users toward agreeing as quickly as possible because let’s face it, we are all lazy, none of us want to spend more time on something than we have to, which is what makes this design so effective.
If you are to click “Reject” spiting all of your fellow internet users and their lazy lifestyles, you’re not going to notice an overt difference immediately but a lot changes behind the scenes. Soon you’ll see fewer personalized ads, and as an added reward, you’ve just made websites a bit less profitable from your visit.
Bottom Line
Clicking “Accept Cookies” feels like closing an annoying popup. In reality, you’re giving permission for a network of companies to track your activity across websites in order to show you personalized ads.
It isn’t necessarily dangerous. But it is something most people don’t fully realize.
Now you do.