Taking Back Control: The Ultimate Guide to Deleting and Blocking Third Party Cookies

Wondering how to delete or block third-party cookies from your browser? Third-party cookies are commonly used by outside services for tracking, advertising, and other website features. If you want to reduce this type of tracking, deleting or blocking these cookies can give you more control over your browsing privacy.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What are third party cookies
• How to delete third party cookies
• How to block third party cookies
• Why delete or block third party cookies

This will help you choose the right cookie settings for your browsing needs.

What are Third Party Cookies?

Third-party cookies are small files stored in your browser by websites or services other than the site you’re visiting. They are often used for advertising, analytics, personalization, and tracking activity across different websites.

Because they can be used for cross-site tracking, many people choose to delete or block them for better privacy. Most modern browsers provide settings to manage third-party cookies. If you need help setting up security for your devices/endpoints or data, our expert IT support team assists with proper configuration and guidance.

How to Delete Third Party Cookies

Deleting third party cookies can help remove stored cookie data from your browser. The steps vary by browser, but the process is generally straightforward. Follow the instructions for the browser you use.

Chrome

1. Open Chrome on your device.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Go to Privacy and security.
5. Select Third-party cookies.
6. Choose the option to See all site data and permissions.
7. Search for the website or domain whose cookies you want to remove.
8. Click the Delete or trash icon next to the site.
9. Confirm the deletion if prompted.

Microsoft Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Go to Privacy, search, and services.
5. Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear.
6. Select Cookies and other site data.
7. Choose the time range you want to clear.
8. Click Clear now.

Note: Clearing cookies this way can remove both first-party and third-party cookies. If you only want to remove data from a specific site, use Edge’s site data settings instead.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click the three-line menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Privacy & Security.
5. Under Cookies & Site Data, select Manage Data.
6. Search for the website whose cookie data you want to remove.
7. Select the site and click Remove Selected.
8. Click Save Changes and confirm.

How to Block Third Party Cookies

Deleting cookies removes third-party cookies that are already stored in your browser. Blocking them is different because it helps prevent new third-party cookies from being stored or used. The steps vary by browser, so follow the instructions for the browser you use.

Chrome

1. Open Chrome on your computer.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Privacy and security.
5. Select Third-party cookies.
6. Under Default behavior, choose Block third-party cookies.
7. Chrome may show options to allow specific sites to use third-party cookies if needed.

Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Privacy, search, and services.
5. Find the Tracking prevention section.
6. Select Strict to provide stronger protection against trackers.
7. You can also use Exceptions to allow specific websites when necessary.

Note: Edge’s tracking prevention settings can affect some third-party content and website features, so a site may occasionally require an exception.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click the three-line menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Privacy & Security.
5. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, select Custom.
6. Check the option for Cookies.
7. Choose All third-party cookies if you want to block third-party cookies specifically.
8. Firefox will apply the setting automatically.

Tip: If a trusted website stops working correctly after blocking third-party cookies, you can adjust the cookie protection for that specific site rather than turning off your privacy settings completely.

Why Delete or Block Third Party Cookies?

Deleting and blocking cookies can both support better browser privacy, but each option has a different purpose. The table below highlights the key benefits of each, so you can choose the approach that fits your needs.

Why Delete	Why Block
Improve browser performance by clearing unnecessary cookie data.	Helps prevent new third-party cookies from being stored.
Reset site preferences by clearing cookies.	Reduces certain types of cross-site tracking.
Removes cookies linked to your previous browsing activity.	Gives you more ongoing control over third-party cookies.
Can help clear unwanted tracking cookies.	Can reduce cookie-based personalized advertising.
May help resolve some cookie-related website issues.	Limits how third-party services recognize you across websites.
Gives you a fresh start with your browser’s stored cookie data.	Helps reduce the amount of third-party cookie data collected about your browsing.
Lets you remove cookies from specific websites when needed.	Reduces the need to regularly delete third-party cookies manually.
Helps you keep your stored browser data more organized.	Provides ongoing privacy protection against certain types of cookie-based tracking.

In Conclusion

Managing third-party cookies is crucial for protecting your privacy and enhancing your online experience. By regularly deleting and blocking these cookies, you can regain control over your browsing data and reduce the risks associated with online tracking. Implementing these practices, using privacy-focused browser extensions, and adjusting your browser settings can significantly enhance online privacy and security. It’s essential to stay informed about the latest online privacy and security developments to keep your data safe in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Need help improving your organization’s online privacy and security? Our team helps you review your IT environment and identify practical ways to strengthen protection.