Internet: tracking cookies, part 0

Self-tutoring about tracking cookies: the tutor explores a way they work.

You see various descriptions of tracking cookies. Generally the idea they convey is that those cookies track the other sites you visit.

While pragmatically, that’s true in a way, I’d say it’s not really. Here’s my understanding of what actually happens:

1. You arrive at a site that loads a tracking cookie onto your computer.
2. When you do a new search, that cookie broadcasts “I’m a cookie from whatever site.”
3. The next site you arrive at, receiving said message, can add in tailored advertising to promote whatever site.

As I understand, whatever site doesn’t, itself, learn where you go. Rather, it pays the search engine to send ads to browsers that manifest its cookies.

Note that there need to be two points of contact: the initial load of the tracking cookie from whatever site, then another site that receives that re-transmitted cookie, knows what it means, and then acts accordingly.

There’s more to say: I hope to follow up tomorrow:)

privacy.net