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If you are new to the world of Internet surfing, you may wonder if cookies slow down your computer. Many of the best websites, after all, use cookies, which could impact consumer privacy. So what are cookies, what do they do, and do they slow down your computer? Keep reading to find out.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
For more information, read up on whether computer cookies are bad, how to remove cookies from your computer, what the CPRA considers sensitive personal data is, and the GDPR’s legal basis for processing.
Insider Tip
If you want a clean video feed, the best option is to connect a high-quality camera to your laptop or computer.
Cookies are small text files stored on your hard drive that accumulate when visiting various websites. These are not malicious files and are no larger than one or two kilobytes. Cookies are used to speed up some of the processes when you return visit to a website you previously spent some time on. The cookie creates a unique ID tag on your computer to keep track of preferences and the like so that you don’t have to re-enter data with each visit.
Unfortunately, yes, though not always. A single cookie likely does not slow down your computer or browsing experience. But having hundreds upon hundreds of cookies stored in your system can certainly slow down web browsing, though this should not have an impact on the rest of your daily computing tasks. That’s because persistent cookies linger in your browser’s cache and have no access to the rest of your computer unless the cookie was designed with malicious intent.
OK, so you have a whole boatload of cookies floating in your browser, and it is starting to become a hindrance. What can you do? There are some tips to follow.
The most obvious thing you can do is clear your web browser’s cache and ensure that you have adjusted the settings, so the cookies get thrown out along with everything else. You can also do a hyper-focused disposal that focuses on just the cookies. That way, you may still have some passwords and stuff auto-generate when you visit websites, saving you a hassle or two.
STAT: What are computer cookies? They’re small packets of data saved as text files on your computer’s or other device’s web browser. (source)
If clearing the cache does not work, you might have some malicious cookies. For now, it is best to avoid that browser, so install a new one and use it. In the meantime, download and use some anti-virus software to suss out those malicious cookies and give them the boot.
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