Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world and list ways to explore these trends. This week, we talk about whether cookies are something you’re sure you want in your daily dose of browsing the internet.
Any website you visit these days has quite a wordy banner pop-up or footer, but the only two buttons every pair of eyes darts towards are Accept All and Reject All.
As convenience always comes with a cost, using cookies in your browser comes attached with a hidden loss of privacy. A web server generates small files called cookies and stores them in your web browser to personalize your experience. Storing login credentials as well as saving settings, display, and content preferences, cookies are the things that make it all possible.
To stay safe when using websites that utilize cookies, consider these tips to minimize tracking and protect your privacy:
1. Clean up your cache
Clearing cookies from your browser helps prevent long-term tracking and can reduce the risk of exposure if any data breaches occur. Most browsers have options to clear cookies either for specific sites or all sites. You can often automate this by setting your browser to delete cookies when you close it. You can always head over to your browser settings to change your cookie settings to ones that suit your needs the best. Generally, browsers have multiple types of cookie settings to choose from. Some of them are third-party cookie settings, browsing data deletion settings, and cookie settings for sites you visit often.
2. Browse the incognito way
Private or incognito modes in browsers don’t save cookies or browsing history after the session ends. Although these modes don’t prevent sites from placing cookies, they help keep sessions isolated, which can limit tracking. Since cookies don’t persist after a session is closed, third-party advertisers can’t target you with their ads anymore—so, no banners of products you recently searched for on Amazon or any other e-commerce site you use. (Trust me, that is a good thing.)
3. Use a privacy-focused browser
Browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Braveand Zoho’s very own Ulaa have built-in tracking protections that block third-party cookies and known trackers by default. Firefox offers strong privacy settings with Enhanced Tracking Protection, which blocks third-party cookies and trackers. Brave blocks ads and trackers by default and has built-in options for private browsing with Tor, which masks your IP address. Ulaa incorporates multiple privacy modes, allowing users to switch between settings like Personal Mode (for regular activities with limited tracking) and Work Mode (with added protections from phishing attempts and unwanted ads). Each browsing mode is isolated, so data collected in one mode (like cookies) doesn’t spill over into others, preserving clean privacy boundaries.
4. Use a VPN
A VPN helps mask your IP address, making it harder for trackers to link cookies to your device. A VPN can provide an additional layer of privacy, especially when combined with other cookie-blocking measures. It doesn’t stop cookies but can make it more difficult for sites to tie tracking data directly to you. It also encrypts all the data transmitted between your device and the VPN server, making it harder for multiple third parties, like your internet service provider, network administrators, or even hackers present on public Wi-Fi, to intercept and read your browsing data.
The last crumbs of tips
Remember that taking control of your online privacy doesn’t mean sacrificing convenience entirely. It’s about finding the right balance between functionality and security. Making informed decisions about cookie settings, maintaining good browser hygiene, and staying updated with privacy tools can go a long way towards safeguarding your digital identity. As technology continues to evolve, staying vigilant and adopting these protective measures will become increasingly important for maintaining a secure, private online presence.
Happy browsing!
