Cookies and other similar devices, such as pixels, web bugs, etc. They are text or image files that are installed in the user’s browser when they access an online service.
Cookies allow, among other things, to store and retrieve information about the user, his browser, his devices and the user’s activity in the service to which he connects.
There are many types of cookies. Below, we offer the user some of their classifications, without this necessarily implying that this service uses all these types of cookies:
a) According to the entity that manages cookies:
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- Own cookies: are those that are sent to the user’s device or terminal from the computer or domain belonging to the owner of a service, and managed by it.
- Third-party cookies: are those that are sent to the user’s device or terminal from a computer or domain that is not managed by the owner of a service, but by a third party that will process the information obtained through cookies.
b) According to the conservation time:
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- Session cookies: are those that collect and store data when the user accesses a service and cease once the user leaves it.
- Persistent cookies: are those that have a determined duration in time by the person in charge of the service. The conservation time can vary from a few minutes to several years. They are used to save and retrieve certain parameters each time the user visits a service.
c) According to its purpose:
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- Technical cookies: are those that are essential and strictly necessary for the proper functioning, use of the different options or services offered by those responsible for it. For example, those used to maintain the session, response time management, performance or validation of options, use security elements, etc.
- Personalization cookies: are those that allow the user to specify or customize some characteristics of a service. For example, define the language, regional configuration or type of browser.
- Analytical cookies: are those that allow counting the number of unique visitors and carrying out an analysis of the use of a service to measure the interest of this or certain areas of it. For example, an analytical cookie would control the geographical areas from where the highest percentages of users connect, which is the most widely accepted product or service, etc.
- Advertising cookies: are those that allow the management of advertising spaces in a service.
- Behavioral advertising cookies: are those that allow the management of advertising spaces in a service. The function of these cookies is to store information on the behavior of users of a service, to later display personalized advertising.