Yahoo and Its Family of Brands: Understanding Cookie Usage and Privacy Choices
Yahoo is a key part of a larger network known as the Yahoo family of brands. This family includes well-known sites and apps such as Yahoo itself, AOL, Engadget, In The Know, and Makers. Together, these platforms provide a wide range of online services that attract millions of users worldwide.
Cookie Technology and Its Purpose
When you visit or use these sites and apps, Yahoo utilizes cookies—a type of technology that allows websites and apps to store and retrieve information on your device. These cookies, along with similar technologies like web storage, enable the operators to improve user experience and functionality.
Yahoo uses cookies to:
- Deliver their websites and apps efficiently to you
- Authenticate users, enforce security measures, and prevent spam and abuse
- Measure visitor engagement by tracking the number of visitors, the type of device used (such as iOS or Android), the browser, and the duration of visits
Importantly, this information is collected in aggregate form and is not linked to individual users, ensuring a degree of privacy in usage statistics.
Personalized Ads and Consent
For users who choose to ‘Accept all’ cookies, Yahoo and its partners—numbering up to 237 entities registered under the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework—may store and access information on your device. This includes the use of precise geolocation data and other personal data like IP addresses, browsing history, and search data.
This data is used for purposes including:
- Analytics and personalized advertising
- Content customization and measurement
- Audience research and developing new services
Those who prefer not to allow these extensive uses of personal data can select the ‘Reject all’ option, which limits data usage accordingly.
Managing Your Privacy Preferences
Yahoo provides users with control over their privacy settings. By choosing ‘Manage privacy settings,’ you can customize which types of cookies and data processing are permitted. At any time, you can change your consent choices by accessing the ‘Privacy & cookie settings’ or ‘Privacy dashboard’ links located on Yahoo’s sites and apps.
For a comprehensive understanding of how your data is handled, Yahoo’s privacy policy and cookie policy offer detailed information, ensuring transparency and user empowerment in the digital environment.
This approach helps users understand both Yahoo’s role within its family of brands and the ways their data is handled, giving them informed choices about their online privacy.
