cookie clearing

[Harold Dye]

I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser. It has a button to clear the history before logging off. It says it clears history, both download and search, cookies and etc. I do this before I log off but I keep getting tons of garbage in the spam folder. Is that an indication the program does not work or is there just so much trash on the internet that it just keeps coming. I seldom search the internet and when this mess shows up most of the time it has nothing to do with my search, but not always.

[Jack Stoner]

By "SPAM" I assume you are referring to e-mail (unwanted e-mails are SPAM). E-mails have nothing to do with the browser.

[Harold Dye]

Yes Jack I was referring to email spam. But it seems like sometimes after browsing some of the sites I go to will send an email that ends up in the spam folder. Yesterday I went to some sites looking at pickup trucks and sometime later I got emails regarding trucks in the spam folder. It has happen other times so I was wondering if using the history delete button was having any effect. It does not happen often but it does happen.

[Wiz Feinberg]

But it seems like sometimes after browsing some of the sites I go to will send an email that ends up in the spam folder. Yesterday I went to some sites looking at pickup trucks and sometime later I got emails regarding trucks in the spam folder. It has happen other times so I was wondering if using the history delete button was having any effect. It does not happen often but it does happen.

It is obvious that your browsing habits are being tracked by your browser and that marketers have your email address. Browsers have privacy settings that can be set to prevent tracking and fingerprinting you based on websites you visit or links you click on. Firefox even allows for totally private browsing that disallows cookies from being accepted, much less ad networks following you from page to page.

You haven't mentioned what your operating system and browser make and version number is. This can make a huge difference in your online privacy and security.

[Harold Dye]

Wiz my system is Win 10, and all I know about the browser is that it is Firefox.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Wiz my system is Win 10, and all I know about the browser is that it is Firefox.

Same as me.

With Firefox open, check for updates to make sure you have the current version.

Click on the 3 horizontal lines Settings icon on the right side. Click on Options. Options page has a menu on the left and should start by loading General Options. Scroll down to Firefox Updates and click on the Check For Updates button. If a newer version is downloaded, you will be presented with a button to close and restart the browser.

After checking for and installing any updates, click on the menu item: Privacy & Security. There you will find all manner of settings to block or accept cookies and trackers. A little further down that page is an option labeled: "Send websites a “Do Not Track” signal that you don’t want to be tracked." Your choices are: Always or "Only when Firefox is set to block known trackers"

The Privacy page has links to learn more about how these options affect your browsing and how websites and ad networks can or cannot track you as you browse the 'net.

[Harold Dye]

Thanks Wiz