Cookies and Their Purpose
Cookies are small text files that are stored on the visitor's computer when visiting a website. They mostly contain technical information that increases user convenience. Examples: preferred language, login data of a logged-in user, or preferred view settings. The information stored in them is often deleted as soon as the website is closed or after a period specified by the website operator (hours or days).
Use of Stored Data
The data involved can be anonymous or personal. The risk lies in the unsolicited transmission of stored data that can log user behavior, e.g., information on purchasing behavior. Third-party providers can perform individual analyses, making the user increasingly transparent. Political, religious, sexual, or consumer preferences can be recorded.
To protect consumers, EU data protection authorities have issued a directive on the use of cookies and other forms of local storage, requiring website operators based in the European Union to inform users about the use of these technologies and, if necessary, obtain the user's consent.
EU Directive as a PDF file
Guidelines on the Use of Cookies
Cookies and Data Storage on This Website
Cookies set directly by this website do NOT contain tracking information, serve exclusively to enhance user convenience, and are NOT analyzed by the operator to evaluate visitor behavior.
Cookies set by third-party providers (Facebook, Google, etc.), if any, are created to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze traffic to this website. They share information about your use of the website with social media, advertising, and analytics partners.
Further information on the topic on Wikipedia