You may have heard the phrase “Privacy is a myth on the Internet” and one of the biggest culprits behind it is cookies. Many websites use cookies to track your web activity and then, based on the data collected, suggest targeted advertisements or personalized suggestions. Find out how to remove or replace tracking cookies in Chrome
In this article, we’ll help you understand what tracking cookies are, how they work, and what data they collect, followed by methods to remove, replace, or spoof tracking cookies in Chrome, Edge, and Brave.
How to remove or replace tracking cookies in Chrome
You will see that cookies are text files that websites store in your web browser to remember your settings and preferences based on the data from the last session. Let’s say you logged in to that site last time, so the next time you visit it, you’ll stay logged in. It also helps to remember the pages visited, the items you liked, the selected language and more.
This gives you a clear idea that cookies are important, but not all cookies are created equal. You can classify cookies into two types, first party cookies and third party cookies. And the latter will be the focus of this article.
First party cookies They are cookies created by a website and can only access data from that website. Although still stored in your browser, these cookies will not be able to track your activity outside of that website.
Secondly, third party cookies they can track you outside of the website on which they are created. That is why they are also called tracking cookies. They are mainly used for retargeting and personalized recommendations.
retargeting it is a way of showing you ads for a product that you previously browsed on another website in order to sell you that product. Let’s see how third-party cookies retarget ads on other websites you visit.
- When you browse a shopping site, it stores a tracking cookie in your browser with a unique ID.
- That shopping website has signed up with an online advertising platform like Google to display its ads.
- Visit another website that shows Google ads to earn income.
- The website will collect the cookie stored in your browser and send it to Google.
- Google will identify the cookie’s unique ID and trace it back to the shopping site.
- The shopping site will then suggest items to show you as advertisements on other websites.
Tracking cookies can also collect a lot of data about the device you use, search queries, previously visited websites, how long you spent on those sites, the content you prefer, and create a persona that can be used by other registered advertisers. in Google. ad network.
So ultimately the question comes down to, what exactly can you do with these tracking cookies and how can you protect your data from being tracked any further? We’ve listed three ways you can use to clear all cookies and spoof your data so you won’t be tracked.
These methods will work in all Chromium browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave.
Each cookie has a unique value or code assigned to it that helps the website track and identify you on the web. This weird extension replaces those values with fake values so that websites cannot recognize the unique code and prevent ads from being redirected to you. This is how you can use it.
Step 1: download the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Step 2: Visit the website that suggests recommendations and personalized ads.
Step 3: Click on the extension icon at the top right of the Chrome toolbar.
Step 4: Here, click on the CAT Cookie Tracker Attack extension .
Wait for it to replace and falsify the tracking cookies with false values.
Step 5: Now refresh the page
All custom ads and recommendations will be replaced with random ads and suggestions as values are replaced.
Another way to deal with annoying third-party cookies is to clear the value of the cookies that carry the unique identifier. Removing their values will make websites unable to ping the cookie in your browser. We will achieve this with the EditThisCookie extension. Below are the steps to edit cookies.
Step 1: Download the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Step 2: Go to the website for which you want to change the cookie values.
Step 3: Click on the extension icon in the Chrome toolbar.
Step 4: select extension EditThisCookie .
The extension will reveal a list of cookies used by the website.
Step 5: Click on the cookie you want to edit.
Step 6: delete its value by clicking on the trash can icon .
Step 7: click the check mark Y reload the page and personalized suggestions will be removed.
Cookies differ from site to site, so it can be difficult to identify the exact cookie used to track you. We recommend that you try to clear the cookie values until the page stops suggesting personalized content.
Web browsers like Chrome will also give you the option to clear cookies. Please note, however, that by clearing all cookies from your web browser, you will be logged out of the websites you are logged into.
Step 1: Open Chrome and click the three points in the upper right corner.
Step 2: go to Setting .
Step 3: Select Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
Step 4: click on Clear browsing data .
Step 5: Check the items you want to delete. Make sure to select Cookies and other site data .
Step 6: Click on Time interval and choose All time .
Step 7: Lastly, click on Delete data .
This will delete all cookies stored in your web browser, including essential and tracking cookies.
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This brings us to the end of our guide to replacing, removing, and forging tracking cookies in your browser. Some privacy-focused web browsers, such as Brave and Firefox, offer options to block third-party cookies and allow only necessary cookies.
You can also enable the option to send a Do Not Track request. But since sites have no obligation not to track you, they can ignore you. I hope this article has helped you learn more about cookies and how they work.
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