{"id":23495,"date":"2026-09-30T12:20:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T09:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yell.md\/?p=23495"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:26:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:26:39","slug":"what-are-cookies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yell.md\/en\/what-are-cookies\/","title":{"rendered":"Why websites ask you to accept cookies \u2014 and what you actually agree to"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why a website greets you with a banner and a few buttons<\/h2>\n

You visit a website to find a shop\u2019s address, compare televisions or look for a dental clinic. First, a box appears: \u201cWe use cookies\u201d, followed by two or three buttons and a privacy-policy link.<\/p>\n

You have barely started browsing and already have a decision to make. Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

The banner explains technologies used to store information and process data. Some support the service itself; others serve analytics, personalisation and advertising. The banner lets you control technologies that require consent.<\/p>\n

A banner does not mean a website is dangerous, nor does it guarantee that the site is trustworthy.<\/strong> What matters is what you are being asked to allow and whether the website respects your choice.<\/p>\n

\"Real<\/figure>\n

An example from datepersonale.md, captured on 30 September 2026. \u201cSet\u0103ri cookie\u201d opens preferences; \u201cACCEPT\u201d offers acceptance. This example has no separate reject button on its first screen. The screenshot shows the interface, not the results of a technical audit.<\/em><\/p>\n

What cookies are, in plain language<\/h2>\n

Cookies are small records that a website can store in the browser on your computer or phone.<\/p>\n

Think of a cloakroom ticket. It does not contain your life story, but it tells the attendant which coat to return. A cookie often contains an identifier that connects several actions to the same browser session.<\/p>\n

For example, the website can recognise that the visitor opening the basket is the person who added a television a minute earlier. Sometimes a cookie stores a preference directly, such as language. Sometimes it holds only an identifier, while associated information lives on the company\u2019s server.<\/p>\n

A cookie is data, not an executable program.<\/strong> By itself, it does not install a virus, switch on your camera or read every file on your device. Some cookies are linked to account access, however, so protecting them matters. [1]<\/p>\n

How cookies help visitors<\/h2>\n

You choose English, and the language stays the same on the next page. You add products, and the basket remains intact while you check delivery. You sign in, and you do not have to enter your password after every click.<\/p>\n

Websites use cookies and other storage mechanisms for these features. Blocking every cookie can disrupt some functions. [1]<\/p>\n

But keeping a shopping basket does not mean you must automatically allow advertising tracking<\/strong>. These are different purposes.<\/p>\n

What the website owner gains<\/h2>\n

Owners need to keep accounts and orders working, understand which pages attract interest, and assess whether advertising brings customers. The information collected depends on the services involved and their settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Purpose<\/th>\nVisitor benefit<\/th>\nOwner benefit<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Keeping users signed in<\/td>\nLess repeated authentication<\/td>\nA working account service<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remembering preferences<\/td>\nMore convenient browsing<\/td>\nThe service reflects preferences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Analysing visits<\/td>\nStatistics can help improve the site<\/td>\nPopular sections become clearer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Evaluating advertising<\/td>\nPotentially relevant offers<\/td>\nEvidence of campaign results<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Analytics tools are not all alike. Some mainly produce aggregate statistics; others analyse individual browsing actions in detail.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo improve our website\u201d should therefore come with an explanation: which data, for what purpose, and through which services?<\/p>\n

Why television ads appear after you look for a television<\/h2>\n

Imagine visiting an electronics shop and looking at televisions. A salesperson suggests two models or tells you about a discount. That makes sense. It would be stranger if they insisted on selling you anti-dandruff shampoo.<\/p>\n

Online advertising can also reflect an interest in a product, through different mechanisms.<\/p>\n

Contextual advertising<\/strong> relates to the page\u2019s content. You read a television review and see an electronics retailer\u2019s offer. This match does not necessarily require knowledge of your browsing history.<\/p>\n

Remarketing, also called retargeting,<\/strong> reaches people who have already interacted with a business. You view a television in an online shop, then see it advertised elsewhere. Depending on the system, cookies or other identifiers may be used. A similar-looking advertisement alone does not prove that you have been retargeted.<\/p>\n

For a shopper, this can reveal a promotion, offer an alternative or revive a postponed decision. For the shop, it can continue contact with an interested visitor. A relevant advertisement still does not guarantee the best price or quality.<\/p>\n

An interesting finding: more specific ads are not always better<\/h3>\n

A study by Anja Lambrecht and Catherine Tucker, published in 2013, examined a field experiment at a travel company. Ads featuring specific offers previously viewed by visitors were, on average, less effective than generic brand ads. The result changed when browsing behaviour indicated more clearly defined preferences. [2]<\/p>\n

This finding belongs to a particular industry and period; it is not a verdict on all modern advertising. But it illustrates a useful point: viewing a product does not mean deciding to buy it. Sometimes people are simply exploring.<\/p>\n

Should you be afraid of cookies?<\/h2>\n

The word itself is nothing to fear. The purpose of the technology and the rules for using data matter.<\/p>\n

One website remembers your language. Another service can connect visits across websites and build an advertising interest profile. Small records can participate in very different processes.<\/p>\n

First-party cookies<\/strong> are used in the context of the website you visit. Third-party cookies<\/strong> are associated with another domain, such as an embedded advertising service. First-party cookies can also support analytics and advertising. Tracking capabilities depend partly on browser restrictions. [3]<\/p>\n

Recognising a browser does not necessarily mean an advertiser immediately knows your name. An identifier does not guarantee anonymity either: activity can be linked to an account or other information.<\/p>\n

Useful questions are: what is collected, why, who receives it, how long is it used, and can I refuse?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What to choose: \u201cAccept all\u201d, \u201cReject\u201d or \u201cSettings\u201d<\/h2>\n

Labels differ, so read the explanation beside the buttons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Option<\/th>\nWhat it usually means<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Accept all<\/td>\nAllow the listed optional categories for the stated purposes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reject \/ Necessary only<\/td>\nRefuse optional technologies while retaining necessary ones<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Settings<\/td>\nChoose categories separately<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Settings may list necessary, functional, analytics and advertising cookies. The actual purpose is decisive. Putting a technology under \u201cNecessary\u201d does not, by itself, prove that the service cannot function without it.<\/p>\n

If you simply want to read a page without advertising personalisation, \u201cNecessary only\u201d is a straightforward option.<\/p>\n

\"Cookie<\/figure>\n

Captured on 30 September 2026: necessary and non-necessary categories are shown separately. The options displayed do not, by themselves, demonstrate the website\u2019s technical behaviour.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why button placement matters<\/h3>\n

In a 2020 experiment involving 40 participants, removing the reject option from the first screen increased consent by 22\u201323 percentage points<\/strong>. This was a finding of that experiment, not a universal rate. [4]<\/p>\n

A 2025 study analysed 254,148 websites from popular-site lists across 31 countries. Consent interfaces appeared on 67% of the sites; only 15% met the researchers\u2019 minimum criteria, mainly because a reject option was missing. This is a research assessment, not a court ruling on each website. [5]<\/p>\n

\u201cThis site wants to send notifications\u201d: is that also a cookie?<\/h2>\n

No. It is a separate browser permission.<\/p>\n

Cookies store records in your browser. Notification permission allows a website to send messages through the browser, such as news, promotions, reminders or updates. You do not necessarily have to provide a phone number or email address. [6]<\/p>\n

Sometimes a website first displays \u201cSubscribe to updates\u201d, followed by the browser\u2019s own permission prompt. These are two stages of the same subscription offer.<\/p>\n

You can accept cookies and block notifications.<\/strong> The choices are independent. Refusing notifications generally does not prevent you from reading the website.<\/p>\n

Allow them when you genuinely want messages from that service. If you visited once to check a shop\u2019s address, a subscription may be unnecessary.<\/p>\n

Be cautious about requests to click \u201cAllow\u201d to \u201cprove you are not a robot\u201d. Permission to send messages is not, in itself, an identity check. Do not grant it merely to dismiss a box.<\/p>\n

A pop-up advertisement inside a page is not necessarily a browser notification. A notification\u2019s website name helps identify its source, but its appearance does not establish that its content is true.<\/p>\n

Why websites must ask: the EU and Moldova<\/h2>\n

European Union<\/h3>\n

The ePrivacy Directive 2002\/58\/EC<\/strong>, particularly Article 5(3) as amended, regulates storing information on a device and accessing it. Certain operations require prior consent. Exceptions include technologies strictly necessary to provide a service expressly requested by the user.<\/p>\n

The GDPR: Regulation (EU) 2016\/679<\/strong>: governs personal-data processing and consent requirements. Saying every banner exists solely because of the GDPR oversimplifies the situation. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and expressed through an unambiguous action; withdrawing it must be as easy as giving it. [7]<\/p>\n

Moldova<\/h3>\n

Law No. 195\/2024 on personal data protection has applied since 23 August 2026.<\/strong> According to Moldova\u2019s National Center for Personal Data Protection, CNPDCP, it transposes GDPR provisions and updates processing rules, organisational duties and protection of individuals\u2019 rights. [8]<\/p>\n

This does not automatically incorporate every ePrivacy Directive rule into Moldovan law. The requirements for a particular website depend on the applicable legislation and how data is used.<\/p>\n

For visitors, the general principle is straightforward: the business must explain its processing. \u201cAccept all\u201d is not unlimited permission to do anything with your information.<\/p>\n

When you provide your name and phone number<\/h2>\n

Viewing a page and submitting an enquiry are different actions. A visit can transmit technical information. A form additionally sends your name, phone number, email, address or message.<\/p>\n

If you ask a shop to call about a television, your number is needed to reply. That does not automatically explain a request for your date of birth or passport details.<\/p>\n

Before submitting, check:<\/p>\n