You can prevent cookies from being used on your computer at all,
or manage them with a custom application. You can set your browser to reject
cookies as follows.
Internet Explorer: Tools / Internet Options / Security
- Set security level to "High", or Custom level / Cookies
Mozilla Firefox: Tools / Options / Privacy / Cookies
- Uncheck "Allow sites to set cookies"
Note that some web sites won't let you visit unless you accept their cookies.
If you want to go to the trouble, you can turn cookies on to visit them, turn
them off when you leave, and then turn them back on when you return, whereupon
you may have to re-enter information not saved in the cookie.
Resources. Various applications provide various levels of
cookie protection. Many virus protection programs
also provide other Internet protection features
including cookie controls. Some applications let you block cookies selectively
without erasing the ones you want.
let you turn on anonymous
surfing mode to
feature off to use sites that require cookies, and then turn the feature back
on without erasing useful cookies that you want to use later.
One of the early cookie control applications was called simply "The
Cookie Jar". Another historical cookie control application was called
"APK Cookie Killing Engine".