What is a cookie?

A "cookie" is a small piece of information that an online site can store in a designated file on your computer. It can be used, among other things, to identify you when you log in to a Web site. When you visit a site, that site can access only the information which it stored in your cookie – not information put in your cookie by other sites. CivilBeat.com is one of many sites that use cookies. The cookie helps us determine, for example, whether you are a paying subscriber or a registered user.