What is a cookie on the computer?

A cookie is a small text file that a website can place on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies allow websites to remember your preferences (such as language preferences) and other information, so you don’t have to re-enter it each time you visit a website. Cookies also can collect information about how you use the website, such as the pages you visit the most.

Some cookies are necessary for websites to work properly. For example, cookies allow a website to remember the items you put in your shopping cart. Other cookies are used to …