19
How the Cookie Crumbles Blog by Nataleigh Long Photos provided by Nataleigh Long
No matter what digital service you attempt to use, the chances of there being a Terms of Service Agreement or Privacy Policy present are almost guaranteed. But who takes the time to read those long-winded, confusing, and seemingly useless contracts before clicking “agree” and moving on? In a society like today’s, where individuals expect nothing less than instantaneous results, it only seems reasonable that most internet users would simply bypass the hundreds of words standing between them and the latest app. According to the documentary Terms and Conditions May Apply, even if we all took the time to read these digital contracts, it would require 180 hours of reading per year per person. Therefore, it is likely that even the most diligent and detailed of people would not spare the time to read through the monstrosity of words before they ever clicked “agree.”
But what does this mean for us consumers? What exactly are we all blindly agreeing to anyway?
previously, and items you have looked at or purchased in the past are all remembered by these cookies.
Virtually all websites will pop up a small banner asking users to acknowledge the use of cookies, though these little pieces of internet data do not come with a complimentary glass of milk. Instead, cookies are left behind by websites to remember the user that was browsing. Such devices are useful when buying products online, because they allow websites to remember the items that were previously added to carts.
Sites and companies are able to use such information to build personalized user profiles for individuals that use their services. This, in turn, means that marketers with access to such information are able to advertise more effectively to their consumers by targeting ads based on their previous online interactions. While this may seem harmless, what becomes concerning is exactly who has access to these digital profiles we unknowingly build online.
However, these cookies remember more than just the new set of headphones you decided to purchase from Amazon. Personal information such as your name, location, the sites you visited
Returning back to the notion of Terms and Conditions and cookie warnings sent out by websites and online services, let us look at Google’s policy on cookies. According to the documentary
