Most US Internet users do not delete cookies, according to a study by InsightExpress. The study, issued in July 2007, found that although US Internet users said deleting cookies was important to them, many did not even know how to do so.
More than eight in 10 US Internet users said that they were familiar with cookies.
More than a third of respondents said that cookies were important to them while using the Internet.
The most common reasons for deleting cookies were to free up memory and protect privacy.
Participants were asked if they were willing to delete cookies from their computers.
Only 28.2% who agreed to delete cookies from their computers were actually able to do so. Furthermore, over 60% believed they were able to successfully accomplish the task.
Given the consumer confusion about cookies, it is not surprising that opinions about them are mixed.
A June 2007 comScore report called "The Impact of Cookie Deletion on the Accuracy of Site-Server and Ad-Server Metrics: An Empirical comScore Study" monitored first-party cookies from Yahoo! and third-party cookies from DoubleClick, and surveyed US Internet users.
The most popular opinion about cookies? They "both improved and detracted" from users' Internet experience.
Learn how privacy and security fears affect online consumer behavior. Read the eMarketer Online Security: Counting the Cost of Fear report.