Browser cookies track everywhere you go online. Every site you visit, every login, every shopping cart. They’re useful for keeping you logged in and loading pages faster, but they’re also a running diary of your browsing habits that advertisers would love to get their hands on.
Clearing them regularly is basic privacy hygiene. Yes, you’ll have to log back into some sites. That’s the trade-off. If you’re not comfortable with a detailed record of your browsing history sitting on your hard drive, delete them.
1. Internet Explorer
Click the gear icon next to the star, then "Internet options." Under "Browsing history," hit "Delete." Check "Cookies and website data" and click "Delete."
If you’re on an older version, the gear is under "Tools" instead. Same process after that.
2. Firefox
Right-click the navigation bar and enable "Menu Bar." Go to Tools > Clear Recent History. Set the time range to "Everything" (don’t half-do this), make sure "Cookies" is checked, and click "Clear Now."
3. Google Chrome
Three-line menu (top right) > Tools > Clear browsing data. Check "Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data."
While you’re here, consider clearing saved passwords and Autofill data too. Depends how paranoid you are about what’s sitting in your browser.
