A “cookie” is a small text file created by certain websites on the user’s computer when the user accesses a particular site, for the purpose of storing and transmitting information. Cookies are sent from a web server (which is the computer running the visited website) to the user’s browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.) and stored on the user’s computer; they are then sent back to the website during subsequent visits. Some operations could not be performed without the use of cookies, which, in some cases, are therefore technically necessary. In other cases, the website uses cookies to facilitate and streamline the user’s browsing experience or to allow the user to access specifically requested services. Cookies may remain on the system for extended periods and may also contain a unique identifier. This allows websites that use them to track the user’s navigation within the site itself, for statistical or advertising purposes—that is, to create a personalized user profile based on the pages the user has visited and then display and/or send them targeted advertisements.