Two thirds of web ‘cookies’ are for ads

More than two-thirds of the “cookies” on the UK’s most popular websites are for advertising purposes, a new study has found, helping explain why some companies may be reluctant to comply with new laws coming into force next month.

From May 26 companies will need explicit permission from customers to monitor their online behavior. This is mainly done through cookies, or small pieces of code sent between a website and the user’s computer. Some of these are necessary for running the site smoothly, for example recognizing someone who has previously visited. However, about 68 per cent are placed by third parties to track behavior and deliver targeted advertising, according to research by TRUSTe, a company which provides internet privacy tools.