Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
FOI #18-325 - Subject - Sexual Assault Policies, Procedures and Training Materials
Name - Raymond Cromartie
Affiliation - SAVE (Stop Violent and Abusive Environments)
All documents pertaining to the University of Connecticut’s Title IX policies and procedures. Specifically, we request that you provide all manuals of policies and procedures, including but not limited to training materials, sexual assault policies, and sexual assault procedures.
All files, records and documents in your possession or control that refer, relate to, or a medical emergency involving a student athlete on campus on Oct. 10 and the response to that emergency. This request includes, but is not limited to, any and all documents, notes, correspondence or memoranda, transcripts or recordings of calls to university authorities, in whatever tangible or physical form, that relate to the requested records.
• The OIE complaint form.
• Any and all notes taken by OIE during interview(s) with complainant.
• Any and all additional interview notes.
• Any and all supporting documents.
• Any and all written decisions produced by OIE.
FOI #18-320 (10-15-18, 11:40 am) - Subject - Salaries and benefits
Name - Connor Kurtz
Affiliation - American Enterprise Institute
I’m researching staffing in various departments at top American public universities. I would like to receive a digital copy of records that include the following information:
1. Total salaries and benefits for the Chief Diversity Officer and all employees who work under him.
2. The total number of employees (a simple staff count) who work under the Chief Diversity Officer.
FOI #18-319 (10-13-18, 1:42 am) - Subject - Social media content filtering
Name - Adam Steinbaugh
Affiliation - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
This request seek records relating to restrictions and settings concerning the official Facebook and Twitter accounts for the University of Connecticut, and should be directed to the person responsible for operating those accounts.
I request the following records:
1. A copy of the settings for the Facebook page maintained by the University of Connecticut (available at https://www.facebook.com/UConn). This list is accessible by (A) logging into the Facebook page as an administrator, and then (B) clicking “Settings” at the top of the official page. The URL should look like: https://www.facebook.com/UConn/settings/?tab=settings.
2. A copy of the list of people or pages banned from the Facebook page referenced above. This list is accessible by: (A) logging into the Facebook page as an administrator, (B) clicking “Settings” at the top of the official page, (C) clicking “People and Other Pages” in the left column, and (D) selecting "Banned People and Pages" from the drop-down menu. The final URL should look like: https://www.facebook.com/UConn/settings/?tab=people_and_other_pages.
3. A list of the "blocked accounts" by the Twitter account maintained by the University of Connecticut (available at https://twitter.com/UConn). This list is accessible by navigating to this URL while logged into the account: https://twitter.com/settings/blocked.
FOI #18-317 (10-11-18, 3:38 pm) - Subject - IMG Contract
Name - Daniel Brechlin
Affiliation - Hartford Courant
I am putting in a standing request for details of UConn's next contract extension with IMG should UConn extend its current contract. I am looking for any contract and its financial details.
I am requesting access to an audit performed by UConn in the fall of 2016 or winter of 2017. It involved the group UConn CHATTER and several federal grants as well as one former UConn employee.