Friction Everywhere—Except Here
Every hour I hop between half a dozen news sites—and each one makes me agree to cookies before I see a headline. At Mercury Local, you land on the story instantly. No nagging banner, no delay. That seamless first click isn’t luck; it reflects our belief that your time and privacy matter more than another tracker.
What Is a Cookie?
A cookie is a tiny text file your browser stores when a site asks. It holds an identifier so the site “remembers” you. Session cookies die when you close the tab. Persistent cookies stick around until they expire or you clear them.
Why Sites Lean on Cookies
- Basic Functionality: Stay logged in, save your shopping cart.
- Preferences & Performance: Recall your language or layout choice.
- Analytics & Advertising: Track which pages you visit—and show you ads elsewhere.
The Privacy Trade-Off
News sites pack in more trackers than most websites—averaging 19 third-party trackers versus eight on non-news sites . First-party cookies come from the site you’re on; third-party cookies come from ad networks embedded everywhere. Those follow-you-around crumbs fuel profiling, price tweaks and, sometimes, data leaks.
How Server Logs Save Privacy and Deliver Insight
We use server logs instead of cookie-based analytics. Logs record page requests, timestamps, and anonymized IP ranges—no cross-site profiles, no stranger breadcrumbs. This approach counts real visits without introducing sampling biases.
Common Objections, Addressed
“Won’t I see the banner every time?” Yes, unless you bookmark our consent-free URL.
“Don’t you hurt ad partners?” Not at all—our opt-in newsletters outperform stale ad-tracker campaigns, and local shops love the clarity.
What You Gain—and What You Trade
You gain faster pages and no hidden tracking. You trade automatic preference storage—you might log in more often. We think that swap is fair: you stay in control.
Take Control Everywhere
Clear cookies in your browser’s privacy settings. Flip on “Do Not Track.” Install a privacy extension. Or just visit a publisher that skips the stalk-and-sell model entirely.
Conclusion & Strong Invite
Cookies aren’t inherently evil—they can power good features. But they’re too often abused. Next time a banner blocks your view, know what’s at stake. Tell us about your worst cookie-banner nightmare in our one-question survey.
Learn More
About the Author
Fueled by cold brew and stubborn curiosity, I’m Peter Cellino. Ping me on Bluesky at @pc51.bsky.social to debate privacy, local news or where to find the town’s best roaster. Explore our ecosystem at Blog, Case Studies, Resources, the Local SEO Playbook, or learn how we connect audiences at Advertising, Charlotte Mercury Ads and Strolling Ballantyne Ads.
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This article, “Understanding Web Cookies and Why Mercury Local Avoids Them,” by Peter Cellino is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.