What is a cookie ?

A cookie is information placed on your hard drive by the server of the site you are visiting.

It contains several data:

the name of the server that uploaded it

an identifier in the form of a unique number

possibly an expiration date…

What are cookies used for?

This information is sometimes stored on your computer in a simple text file that a server accesses to read and save information.

Cookies have different functions. They can allow the person who deposited it to recognize an Internet user, from one visit to another, thanks to a unique identifier.
Some cookies can also be used to store the contents of a shopping cart, others to save the language settings of a site, and still others to perform targeted advertising.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE CNIL WEBSITE