What does it mean to ‘accept' or 'reject' all cookies, and which should I choose?

It's nearly impossible to use the internet without being asked about cookies. A typical pop-up will offer to either “accept all” or “reject all”. Sometimes, there may be a third option, or a link to further tweak your preferences.

- BY HMED IBRAHIM Senior Lecturer, Computing and Security, Edith Cowan University and BY DAVID COOK Lecturer, Computer and Security Science, Edith Cowan University

These pop-ups and banners are distracting, and your first reaction is likely to get them out of the way as soon as possible — perhaps by hitting that “accept all” button.

But what are cookies, exactly? Why are we constantly asked about them, and what happens when we accept or reject them? As you will see, each choice comes with implications for your online privacy.

What are cookies?

Cookies are that web pages save to your device. They contain info meant to enhance the user experience, especially for frequently visited websites.

This can include remembering your login information and preferred news categories or text size. Or they can help shopping sites suggest items based on your browsing history. Advertisers can track your browsing behaviour through cookies to show targeted ads.

There are many types, but one way to categorise cookies is based on how long they stick around.

Understand how AI is changing society

Get our newsletter

Session cookies are only created temporarily - to track items in your shopping cart, for example. Once a browser session is inactive for a period of time or closed, these cookies are automatically deleted.

Persistent cookies are stored for longer periods and can identify you — saving your login details so you can quickly access your email, for example. They have an expiry date ranging from days to years.

What do the various cookie options mean?

Pop-ups will usually inform you the website uses “essential cookies” necessary for it to function. You can’t opt out of these — and you wouldn't want to. Otherwise, things like online shopping carts simply wouldn’t work.