Cookies are small text files used by most websites. When you visit a website, they are stored on your computer or mobile device. Cookies typically contain the name of the server from which the cookie was sent; the lifetime of the cookie, and a value that is usually a randomly generated unique number.

Their storage is completely controlled by your browser – the user can restrict or disable the storage of cookies as desired, but due to these restrictions, it may happen that the website will not function properly, content will not be displayed, and access to some functionalities will be limited. Cookies are not harmful and are always time-limited.

Most modern websites use cookies because without them, the usability of websites would be significantly impaired. The storage and reading of information in cookies are used for:

• Sessions (e.g., logging into forums),
• Shopping carts in online stores,
• Reusing your decisions that you have made (e.g., language or currency choice),
• Displaying various advanced content on the website (e.g., maps, videos),
• Keeping visitor statistics,
• Supporting social network plugins (e.g., liking and sharing),
• Displaying personalized advertisements.

Cookies can be temporary (for the current “session”), meaning they are only used during your visit to the website and are deleted when you close your web browser, or they can be permanent, meaning they remain on your device after you leave the website until you delete them yourself or they are deleted by your browser after a certain period.