August 9, 2025
2 min read
Consent to website cookies is generally considered safe when users interact with encrypted, reputable sites; however, the degree of safety depends on several key factors. Research indicates that cookies facilitate core website functions and personalization but also pose privacy risks, particularly with third-party and tracking cookies (Degeling et al., 2019). Most browsers now display a lock icon for encrypted sites, signaling a secure HTTPS connection. Users are advised to check for this security marker before consenting, as unencrypted sites (HTTP) can expose cookie data to interception (Falahrastegar et al., 2014).
Notably, there are different categories of cookies:
Consent mechanisms on reputable sites usually allow users to:
"Privacy-conscious users may decline all except essential cookies, limiting exposure to profiling and third-party data sharing" (Mayer & Mitchell, 2012). Studies show that many sites still deploy non-essential cookies before user consent, highlighting implementation gaps in compliance (Degeling et al., 2019).
Best practices recommended by experts include:
In summary, the safety of consenting to cookies is conditional: It is relatively safe on secure websites when users exercise control over which cookie categories are enabled. However, users should remain vigilant regarding advertising and tracking cookies due to associated privacy implications.
