Cookie pop-ups don't have to be a fact of life online – how I block them and why

“C” is for cookie, gathering data on me.

You know them, you loathe them, but because of how the web works these days, you cannot avoid them. Unless your browser of choice does a good job of blocking them. If not, you have to deal with them.

Cookies store information

Cookies are tiny text files stored on your device by the websites you visit. They store information such as:

• Session details (e.g., login credentials)
• Preferences (e.g., language settings)
• Advertising targeting data
• Analytics and performance metrics

Also: How to clear your iPhone cache for a fresh (and faster) start in 2025

Cookies might seem innocuous at first, but the more data they gather, the better they become at helping a website construct a profile on you. With that profile, websites can target ads or even sell that information.

How websites use cookies

Depending on which browser you use and how it is configured, when a website employs a cookie, a pop-up may appear to inform you. The reasons websites use cookies include:

• Tracking: To monitor user behavior across multiple pages or sessions
• Advertising targeting: To deliver targeted ads based on your browsing history and interests
• Analytics and performance monitoring: To collect data about website usage patterns

Also: How to clear your Android phone’s cache and make it feel like new for 2025

To be clear, cookies are not innocent. Their purpose is to gather data about you so it can be used for the benefit of the issuing company.

Legitimate uses for cookies

There are several legitimate uses for cookies, including:

• Session management: Storing information about the current session, such as user credentials, shopping cart contents, and navigation history
• Personalization and preferences: Remembering user preferences, such as language settings, ad display locations (e.g., above the fold), and font sizes or colors
• Analytics and performance monitoring: Collecting data on user behavior to help improve content, design, and functionality. This includes page views (counting how many times a page is viewed), clicks (tracking interactions with elements), and conversion rates (analyzing how many users complete specific actions)
• E-commerce and shopping cart management: Enabling functions such as shopping cart tracking, order management, and user account information
• Accessibility features: Enabling features such as high-contrast mode, large text size, and screen reader compatibility
• Social media sharing: Allowing platforms to recognize users across sites and track engagement
• Security features: Supporting measures such as two-factor authentication and session timeouts

Cookies can be maliciously used

Cookies can also be used in ways that appear legitimate but are not. For example, a website may claim to use cookies to enhance the user experience but then sell that data to a third party.

Also: 5 Android browsers that are better than Chrome (and why I prefer them)

The real danger of cookies does not always lie with the sites that issue them. Consider this: you have cookies saved to local storage, and a hacker breaches your computer’s defenses. That hacker could copy the cookies and gain access to the information they contain. They could then sell the data to malicious actors, post it on the dark web, or use it themselves.

Because of that risk, I have always found it imperative to block cookies.

How cookie pop-ups work

Each web browser handles the cookie pop-up differently. Some of the more secure browsers block them and report which cookies were blocked. On the other end of the spectrum, web browsers default to allowing cookies and present a pop-up to inform you, after the fact, that a cookie has been saved and used.

Also: The best data removal services: Delete yourself from the internet

What does it mean? Is it too late once you see the pop-up? The thing you have to consider is that, according to most sites that issue cookies, they are used for legitimate purposes (such as analytics and advertising). But we all know how such a truth can be bent and twisted to favor companies. Even the term “tracking” implies that sites are secretly monitoring user activity without consent. Some sites attempt to appear less invasive by offering opt-in or opt-out options for tracking data collection.

The important thing is to consider what constitutes legitimate usage versus invasive tracking.

So, are you being tracked?

Simply put, if a cookie is saved to your device, you are being tracked. However, depending on your browser, that cookie pop-up could allow you to block the offending site. 

If your browser informs you that a site is using cookies but does not provide the option to deny them, it is time to either switch browsers or install an extension, such as Ghostery or uBlock Origin. Keep in mind that uBlock Origin no longer functions with Chrome, so if that is your browser of choice, try Ghostery.

Also: How to clear your Google search cache on Android (and why you should)

If given the option, deny the cookie and continue. If not, install a blocker or switch to a browser like Brave or Zen Browser.