Cookies are a foundational technology of the modern web. Tracking cookies serve a more specific purpose: they identify and follow users across multiple websites to build behavioral profiles used for targeted advertising, analytics, and audience segmentation.
Third-party tracking cookies, placed by ad networks and analytics providers rather than the website itself, have been the primary target of privacy regulation. Under the GDPR, placing non-essential cookies on a user's device requires prior informed consent. Under the CCPA, cookie data shared with third parties for advertising may constitute a 'sale' or 'sharing' requiring an opt-out mechanism.
The tracking cookie ecosystem is in a period of significant disruption. Major browsers have restricted or are phasing out third-party cookies, and Google's Privacy Sandbox initiative has introduced alternative targeting mechanisms. This shift accelerates the importance of first-party data, collected directly from users with consent, as a sustainable, privacy-compliant alternative to cookie-based tracking.
Learn more about cookie consent.