Cookies are little files that websites place on your computer in order to collect analytic data, personalize online adverts, and monitor your web usage.

According to the Information Commissioner, certain large websites do not provide consumers with “fair choices” over their use.

It has given companies 30 days to comply with the law, which states that rejecting cookies should be as simple as accepting them.

The sites to which the watchdog has issued enforcement notices have not been identified.

Some cookies aid in the correct operation of websites, while others can be used to track users and offer them with adverts depending on their browsing habits.

Cookies can be used to collect a variety of information about users, including:

What you do on the site, where you are in the world, what device you use, and where you go online afterwards
Many websites see cookies as an essential aspect of selling the advertising on which they rely.

However, the advertising can be bothersome. Many people have had the experience of visiting a website or making a purchase, only to have related adverts appear on all of the websites they visit.