Are cookies spying on you? What really happens behind the ‘accept all’ button you keep clicking on websites

It’s become second nature. You land on a new website, and within seconds, you’re greeted by a familiar prompt: “This site uses cookies—Accept all?” Most of us, fueled by convenience and a desperate urge to get to the content, hit “accept” and move on. But have you ever wondered what you’re really agreeing to?

Despite being around for over three decades, internet cookies remain a misunderstood part of the web-surfing experience. And no, they’re not the edible kind. While you may have only started noticing them more prominently in the…