What are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored in your computer and then sent by the webserver to the web browser. They are used to keep a track of the way that a user interacts with websites over the internet. They are usually put to use in order to enhance the user experience and have it be unified, instead of existing In isolation. Put differently, cookies store your data and then recognizes you when you revisit the website.
There are two types of cookies, namely Persistent Cookies and Session Cookies. A Session Cookie is only active till the time you are on the website, and once you exit the site, the cookie also disappears. On the other hand, a Persistent Cookie (also known as a Permanent Cookie) is able to provide information when you revisit the site in the future as well. It stores data for a fairly long period of time.
What Cookies do we use?
We use both Session Cookies and Persistent Cookies on our website.
What do we use Cookies for?
Cookies are necessary for seamless user experience. They do not store any personal information that can be used to uniquely identify you. However, the personal identification information that we hold might be storied in the Cookies and then later obtained from them.
On our website, we use Tracking Cookies (to keep a long-term track of the revisits by the user), Functionality Cookies (to remember the user preference such as the username, language, region, etc.) and Cookies that provide you with targeted advertisements.
The information that we get from these Cookies is put to the following use:
- To keep a track of how the user navigates the website and interacts with it. It allows us to study the user pattern and customize the website to make it more useful for them.
- To personalize the website uniquely for the user. The advertisements that are shown on the website are targeted towards each unique user and may be of interest to them, according to their browsing history.
- To recognize the computer when a user visits our website, and to set the preferences that the user chooses on their last visit, to make the experience seamless.
What about the third-party Cookies?
While using our website, you may also be sent cookies by third parties such as our advertising partners and service providers. They may be put to use for the following purposes:
- To build a profile of the user’s web surfing pattern across the internet
- To show targeted advertisements that may be of particular interest to them, according to the data retrieved from their search history
- Track the user’s browser across multiple websites
How to block cookies?
If you are uncomfortable with the use of cookies, you can choose to block them by using the steps mentioned below. However, you must keep in mind that blocking all the Cookies on your browser might hinder your browsing experience. Options such as login, access content or search features of the website might become inaccessible to you
- Internet Explorer: Go to “Tools,” “Internet Options,” “Privacy” and then click on “Block all cookies”
- Firefox: Go to “Tools,” then click on “Options” and then un-tick the “Accept Cookies from Site” option that is given in the “Privacy” box.
- Google Chrome: Go to “Options,” and click on “Under the hood” in the content settings of the “Privacy” section. Click on the Cookies tab in this.
- Safari: Go to “Preferences,” “Privacy” and then click on “Block Cookies”
How to delete Cookies?
You can also choose to delete the cookies that are already stored on your browser by following these simple steps:
- Internet Explorer: Manually delete the Cookie files that are stored in your browser
- Firefox: Go to the “Private Data” option and from there go to “Tools,” “Options” and then “Settings.” Here, you must check on the clearing Cookies option when you clear private data. Now simply clear your private data.
- Google Chrome: Go to “Options,” “Under the Hood,” “Privacy” and then “Content Settings.” Click on the Cookies tab from here.
- Safari: Go to “Preference” and then select the “Privacy” tab and then click on the “Remove All Website Data”.
