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What is a cookie?

Una cookie es un fichero de texto inofensivo que se almacena en su navegador cuando visita casi cualquier página web. La utilidad de la cookie es que la web sea capaz de recordar su visita cuando vuelva a navegar por esa página. Aunque mucha gente no lo sabe las cookies se llevan utilizando desde hace 20 años, cuando aparecieron los primeros navegadores para la World Wide Web.

What is a cookie NOT?

It is not a virus, a Trojan, a worm, spam, spyware, or something that opens pop-up windows.

What information does a cookie store?

Cookies do not usually store sensitive information about you, such as credit card or bank details, photographs, your national identity number or personal details, etc. The data they store is of a technical nature, such as personal preferences and content customisation, etc.

The web server does not associate you as a person, but rather your web browser. In fact, if you usually browse using Internet Explorer and try browsing the same website using Firefox or Chrome, you will see that the website does not realise that you are the same person, because it is actually associating the browser, not the person.

What types of cookies are there?

  • Technical cookies: These are the most basic type of cookie and enable, amongst other things, the website to distinguish between a human user and an automated application, and between an anonymous user and a registered user – tasks that are essential for the functioning of any dynamic website.
  • Analytics cookies: These collect information about your browsing behaviour, the sections you use most frequently, the products you view, the time of day you use the site, your language, etc.
  • Advertising cookies: These display adverts based on your browsing history, country of origin, language, etc.

What are first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are those generated by the website you are visiting, whilst third-party cookies are those generated by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

What happens if I disable cookies?

To help you understand the implications of disabling cookies, here are a few examples:

  • You will not be able to share content from that website on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platform.
  • The website will not be able to tailor its content to your personal preferences, as is often the case with online shops.
  • You will not be able to access the personal area of that website, such as ‘My Account’, ‘My Profile’ or ‘My Orders’.
  • Online shops: It will be impossible for you to shop online; you will have to place orders by telephone or visit the physical shop, if there is one.
  • You will not be able to customise your geographical preferences, such as time zone, currency or language.
  • The website will not be able to carry out web analytics on visitors and website traffic, which will make it difficult for the website to remain competitive.
  • You will not be able to post on the blog, upload photos, post comments, or rate or score content. Nor will the website be able to tell whether you are a human or an automated programme posting spam.
  • Targeted advertising will no longer be possible, which will reduce the website’s advertising revenue.
  • All social media platforms use cookies; if you disable them, you will not be able to use any social media platforms.

Can cookies be deleted?

Yes. Not only delete, but also block – either generally or specifically for a particular domain.

To delete cookies from a website, you should go to your browser settings, where you can find the cookies associated with the domain in question and delete them.

Below, we explain how to access a specific cookie in the Chrome browser. Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version:

  1. Go to Settings or Preferences via the File menu or by clicking on the customisation icon in the top right-hand corner.
  2. You will see various sections; click on the ‘Show advanced options’ option.
  3. Go to Privacy, Content settings.
  4. Select ‘All cookies and site data’.
  5. Aparecerá un listado con todas las cookies ordenadas por dominio. Para que le sea más fácil encontrar las cookies de un determinado dominio introduzca parcial o totalmente la dirección en el campo Buscar cookies.
  6. Once you have applied this filter, one or more lines containing the cookies from the requested website will appear on the screen. Now simply select the one you want and click the X to delete it.

To access the cookie settings in Internet Explorer, follow these steps (these may vary depending on your browser version):

  1. Go to Tools, Internet Options
  2. Click on ‘Privacy’.
  3. Move the slider to set your preferred level of privacy.

To access the cookie settings in Firefox, follow these steps (these may vary depending on your browser version):

  1. Go to Options or Preferences, depending on your operating system.
  2. Click on ‘Privacy’.
  3. Under ‘History’, select ‘Use a custom setting for history’.
  4. You will now see the ‘Accept cookies’ option; you can enable or disable it according to your preferences.

To access the cookie settings in the Safari browser for OSX, follow these steps (these may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Go to Preferences, then Privacy.
  2. Here you will see the ‘Block cookies’ option, which allows you to set the type of blocking you wish to apply.

To access the cookie settings in the Safari browser for iOS, follow these steps (these may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Go to Settings, then Safari.
  2. Go to Privacy and Security, where you’ll see the ‘Block cookies’ option, allowing you to set the type of blocking you wish to apply.

To access your browser’s cookie settings on Android devices, follow these steps (these may vary depending on your browser version):

  1. Open your browser and press the Menu key, then select Settings.
  2. Go to Security and Privacy, where you’ll see the ‘Accept cookies’ option; tick or untick the box as required.

To access the browser’s cookie settings on Windows Phone devices, follow these steps (these may vary depending on the browser version):

  1. Open Internet Explorer, then More, then Settings
  2. You can now tick or untick the ‘Allow cookies’ box.
LVS2 Area de compliance y ciberseguridad Madrid
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.