Proprietary cookies VS third-party cookies: our complete guide

The Internet is an integral part of our daily lives. For many people, surfing the web is an everyday activity. On a daily basis, the French spend an average of 2 h 18 per day. Every site we visit collects information about our online activity via so-called cookies. Their use often raises questions about confidentiality and security.

Proprietary cookies

What is a proprietary cookie?

First of all, let's review the definition of a cookie. A cookie is a file stored on a user's computer, tablet or smartphone. Associated with a domain name such as www.dataventure.com, this little file is automatically sent back when a user connects to the same website in the future.

Let's take a look at proprietary cookies, also known as "internal", "native " or " first-party" cookies. It is deposited directly by the publisher of the site visited by the surfer, more precisely on its domain.

This type of cookie may be used for :

• • Ensuring the smooth running of the website;
  • Collecting personal data;
  • Tracking user behavior ;
  • For advertising purposes.

It is created the first time a customer visits an online store or showcase site.

Examples of proprietary cookies

See examples of first-party cookies:

Session cookies

On the Internet, sessions are one of the most common ways of storing data in a browser. Session cookies contain information about the user's visit, such as items placed in the shopping cart or a pre-filled form. So, even if the user moves on to another page, the information they have completed is still accessible.

They are stored within the web browser only if the individual session is active. They are not stored for future use. In fact, they are unique in that they only last for a single session. Session cookies are used to keep the website running smoothly, and to ensure that users are able to use its services.

Preference or personalization cookies

Part of the browsing cookies category, they collect information on user choices and preferences. Their purpose? To differentiate the user experience according to their profile. Preference cookies transform the way a website behaves or displays. They personalize and adapt it according to a number of parameters.

Preference cookies include :

• • Language ;
  • Location;
  • The portable device ;
  • The reference site ;
  • Date of last visit ;
  • Recently viewed videos ;
  • Page history.

Authentication cookies

They allow users to access their account using previously registered identifiers.

The advantages of proprietary cookies

Discover the main advantages of first-party cookies in your marketing strategy:

• • Personalizing the user experience (UX) ;
  • Enhanced website functionality;
  • Access to secure areas of the website ;
  • Temporary information storage ;
  • Better data control (full ownership). You collect it from your audience, prospects and customers, without going through an intermediary. Unlike third-party data, you are the sole owner;
  • Less intrusive and disrespectful of user privacy;
  • Simplified navigation ;
  • Customized advertising. Thanks to proprietary cookies, you know which user has clicked on an ad. This makes it easier to identify the user's centers of interest, while refining targeting for future campaigns.

Used responsibly, proprietary dataestablishes a direct relationship with your audience. It helps you create value, while improving your advertising performance.

Third-party cookies

What is a third-party cookie?

Also known as "third-party cookies", these are cookies placed on domain names other than that of the site visited. As a general rule, they are managed by third parties who have been questioned by the site visited, and not by the user himself.

The third-party cookie is used to provide third parties with statistics on the pages visited by users. It is also used to collect information on visitors, notably for advertising purposes (retargeting, ad-serving).

Users have the option of blocking third-party cookies: private browser mode, use of Safari or Tor, ad filtering software, etc.

Examples of third-party cookies

Advertising cookies

Advertising cookies are mainly used to manage ads, their content and frequency. They enable us to determine in real time which ad to display, based on the user's recent browsing habits. This type of cookie is useful for controlling the number of times a user sees an ad, or for evaluating the performance of a campaign.

Social network sharing cookies

They are essential for connecting to social platforms. Most often, they are generated by content-sharing buttons. This type of cookie is issued and managed by the publisher of the social network concerned.

Behavioral analysis and audience measurement cookies

They are used to track the browsing behavior of Internet users on different websites or applications. They generate heat maps or screen recordings. The aim is simple: to create a typical profile, by identifying what is most likely to interest the surfer, but also by displaying targeted advertising. Behavioral analysis cookies help optimize browsing, while making it more interesting.

Audience measurement cookies provide the brands with statistics on the number of visitors to the site or application.

The benefits of third-party cookies

Let's take a look at the strengths of third-party cookies:

• • Targeted advertising. This is an advertising technique designed to identify people individually. The aim is to deliver specific ads based on their personal characteristics. As a result, it is necessary to know who is viewing the advertising messages. Advertising companies create "profiles" associated with users. Given the impossibility of processing all this information manually, personalized advertising is almost exclusively programmatic. It enables the automatic purchase of inventory elements to be planned according to predefined criteria such as geolocation, audience characteristics or price. Real-time bidding is another type of programmatic advertising;

• • Audience measurement ;
  • Data analysis ;
  • Integration of third-party services ;
  • Behavioral targeting ;
  • Contextual advertising. This advertising method consists of displaying ads selected according to the context in which they are inserted. On the web, the management of these advertisements may require the use of cookies, such as capping cookies (to limit the number of times the same content is repeated to the same surfer) or cookies to combat click fraud. This is a prerequisite for proper valuation.

What is the difference between third-party cookies and proprietary cookies?

This depends on the entity that places them on the browser. If it's the site you're visiting that generates them, they're proprietary cookies. If it's other sites that place the files on our smartphones, PCs or tablets, it's a third-party cookie. The site operator has no access to them.

Focus on the rules for cookies and other tracers

Discover the key regulatory principles:

• • Clearly inform users of the purposes of cookies. Users must be fully informed of the uses of cookies when they make their choice. For greater clarity, the initial description may be reduced to a brief presentation of the purposes for which cookies are used. This first level of information may be followed by a more detailed description.
  • The procedure for refusing cookies should be as simple as that for accepting them. Internet users must give their consent to the deposit of tracers by means of a clear positive act. This may take the form, for example, of a click on "I accept" in a cookie banner. Silence on the part of users should be considered as a refusal. In this way, no cookie that is not essential to the operation of the site or application can be deposited on the user's device.

Good to know: How can I prove that I have obtained the user's consent?

Several solutions can be implemented. These include: 

• • Escrow of the code used by the organization seeking consent from a third party. This must be the code for the various versions of the site or mobile application;
  • The dated publication on a public platform of a condensate (or "hash") of the computer code. The aim is to be able to prove its authenticity;
  • A screenshot of the visual rendering on a smartphone, tablet or PC. It can be dated and saved for each version of the site or application;
  • Frequent audits of the consent collection systems deployed by the sites or applications from which consent is collected. These audits can be carried out by third parties mandated for this purpose;
  • Information on the tools implemented and their subsequent configurations (CMP "Consent Management Platform"). This information can be archived by the third-party providers of these consent management solutions. 

Suppression of third-party cookies planned for 2024 by Google

The end of third-party cookies in Chrome is set for the third quarter of 2024. This deadline has already been pushed back several times. 86% of companies say they are prepared for the total abandonment of third-party cookies. For 65% of them, this is even a good thing.

The elimination of this type of tracker has an impact on the world of digital advertising on several levels:

• • Move from a single solution (third-party cookies) to a diversity of levers. The latter adapt to web users' choices. They meet advertisers' needs with different means. All this, for multiple use cases.
  • From systematic real-time feedback to feedback that may be delayed, particularly for solutions developed by browsers.
  • From a deterministic approach to probabilistic methods. The requirement for individual precision is a thing of the past. The approach is now more flexible.
  • Individualized data leaves more room for aggregated data.

For effective cookie management, it's important to know the difference between third-party cookies and proprietary cookies. These two types of tracer do not have the same uses. While the former seem doomed to disappear, the latter have not said their last word.

Dataventure offers a wide range of alternative cookieless solutions:

• • Assets Data ;
  • LookAlike. A solution for creating personalized audiences, based on the typical profile of your customers. This targeting technique is ideal for reaching prospects with strong similarities to your customers.
  • Retargeting. The aim is to retarget visitors to a site or page who have shown interest in a product or service. The idea is to be able to re-target them by sending them an SMS, an e-mail or by broadcasting an advertisement.

Would you like to find out more? Contact our experts at Data & Performance Marketing.