A cookie is a piece of data from a website that is stored within a web browser that the website can retrieve at a later time. Cookies are used to tell the server that users have returned to a particular website.

Cookies can have different functions and serve different purposes.

Authentication cookies are used to authenticate that a user is logged in, and with which account they are logged in. Without the cookie, users would need to authenticate themselves by logging in every time they visit a page containing sensitive information that they wish to access.

Tracking cookies, and especially third-party tracking cookies, are commonly used as ways to compile long-term records of individuals' browsing histories — a potential privacy concern.

Cookies can identify people and store their personal information which can be shared with third parties and are a privacy concern.

The EU GDPR made it a legal requirement to solicit cookie consent. Quoting from the GDPR's Recital 30: "Natural persons may be associated with online identifiers provided by their devices, applications, tools and protocols, such as internet protocol addresses, cookie identifiers or other identifiers such as radio frequency identification tags. This may leave traces which, in particular when combined with unique identifiers and other information received by the servers, may be used to create profiles of the natural persons and identify them."

Please note that the GDPR imposes heavy fines on instances of non-compliance, among other serious consequences.

Given that cookies are a privacy concern, it's essential that you gather candidates consent for cookies through a cookie policy on Full Fabric.

See the next article on how to set up a cookie policy.