Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
On October 29, 2019, during the 1st Session of the 116th Congress, Democrat Representative José E. Serrano of New York (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4901 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This status bill enabled the admission of Puerto Rico as a state of the Union.
On July 26, 1979, during the 1st Session of the 96th Congress, Democrat Senator Daniel P. Moynihan of New York (D-NY) introduced S.Con.Res. 35 in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This concurrent resolution reaffirmed Congress’ commitment to enable the people of Puerto Rico to determine their own political future.
On September 26, 1966, during the 2nd Session of the 89th Congress, Democrat Representative James C. Wright Jr. from Texas (D-TX) introduced H.R. 17971 in the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. This status bill sought to provide the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union, on an equal footing with the original states.
On February 7, 1949, during the 1st Session, Democrat Senator Millard E. Tydings of Maryland (D-MD) introduced S. 797 in the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. This status bill provided for the withdrawal of sovereignty of the United States over the island of Puerto Rico and the recognition of its independence.
On September 14, 1959, during the 1st Session of the 86th Congress, Democrat Senator James E. Murray of Montana (D-MT) introduced S. 2708 in the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. H.R. 9234 accompanied this bill. This bill provided amendments to “compact” adopted between the United States and Puerto Rico under the terms of the Commonwealth Constitution of Puerto Rico.
During the 2nd Session of the 73rd Congress, on June 2, 1934, Democrat and Socialist member of the conservative Coalición, Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias of Puerto Rico (D/Coalición-PR) introduced H.R. 9831 in the House Committee on the Territories. The status bill enabled Puerto Rican electors to form a territorial constitution and subsequent statehood.
On June 18, 1943, during the 1st Session of the 78th Congress, Democrat Resident Commissioner Bolivar Pagan of Puerto Rico (D-PR) introduced H.R. 3002 in the House Committee on the Territories. This status bill called for the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union on an equal footing with the states.
On May 17, 1994, during the 2nd Session of the 103rd Congress, Republican Representative Don E. Young of Alaska (R-AK) introduced H.R. 4442 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill provided for consultations for the development of Articles of Relations and Self-Government for the insular areas of the United States.
On February 26, 2006, during the 2nd Session of the 109th Congress, Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina introduced S. 2304 (accompanied by H.R. 4963 in the House) in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This bill recognized the right of self-determination of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to organize a constitutional convention to resolve the future political status of Puerto Rico.
On August 25, 2020, during the 2nd Session of the 116th Congress, Democrat Representative Nydia M. Velazquez from New York (D-NY) introduced H.R. 8113 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill recognized the right of the people of Puerto Rico to call a status convention through which the people would exercise their natural right to self-determination, and to establish a mechanism for congressional consideration of such decision.
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