- Understanding the difference between first-party and third-party cookies helps make better decisions about online privacy and the way to interact with websites.
- First-party cookies enhance your browsing experience with minimal privacy risks, and third-party cookies offer targeted advertising at the cost of increased tracking.
As the digital landscape evolves, striking a balance between functionality and privacy will be crucial for both users and the industry. Being informed about the differences between first-party cookies and third-party cookies is essential for grasping how your online activities are tracked and how your privacy is managed.
What is first-party cookies
First-party cookies are set by the website you are currently visiting. These cookies are stored directly by the website and are used primarily to enhance user experience. They remember your settings, login status, and other preferences to provide a seamless and personalised browsing experience.
Also read: What is going on with online privacy
By using first-party cookies, the users enhance their experience. The cookies will remember users’ preferences and settings, making their interaction with the website more efficient and enjoyable. Moreover, it will enable core functionalities, such as maintaining your session and personalising content based on your previous interactions with the site.
What is third-party cookies
Third-party cookies is set by domains other than the one you are currently visiting. The cookies are typically used by advertisers and analytics companies to track your online behaviour across multiple sites.
Third-party cookies offer specific advantages. The cookies allow advertisers to deliver personalised ads based on the user’s browsing history, which can make ads more relevant and effective. By tracking your activities across various websites, third-party cookies help create detailed user profiles for more precise targeting.
However, it poses significant drawbacks as well. The most significant drawback of third-party cookies is their impact on privacy. They can track users across multiple sites without their explicit consent, leading to concerns about data security and user privacy.
Also read: Can multi-factor authentication be hacked?
3 differences between first-party cookies and third-party cookies
1. Privacy implications: First-party cookies are generally considered less invasive since they are confined to the website you are visiting. In contrast, third-party cookies track your behaviour across different sites, raising significant privacy concerns. This tracking can lead to the creation of detailed user profiles, often without your knowledge or consent.
2. Browser and regulatory responses: First-party cookies are generally supported by all browsers without significant restrictions. They comply more easily with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. On the contrary, due to growing privacy concerns, major web browsers and regulatory bodies have taken steps to limit the use of third-party cookies. Browsers like Safari, Firefox, and Chrome have implemented or announced plans to phase out third-party cookies. For instance, Google Chrome aims to replace them with its Privacy Sandbox initiative, which seeks to balance privacy and advertising needs.
3. Alternatives and future trends: Companies are focusing more on collecting and utilising first-party data, which is obtained directly from user interactions on their sites, while the use of third-party cookies declines. The industry is exploring alternatives like contextual advertising, browser fingerprinting, and server-side tracking. Shifting towards privacy-preserving technologies, the industry tries to balance advertising needs with user privacy.
