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Google Cookies Expire Sooner, If You Stop Visiting

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

July 17, 2007, 11:36 AM

Google has thrown another bone to critics of its privacy practices, announcing it would no longer set cookies to expire in the year 2038. Now, Google will set cookies to expire two years after a user last visits the site, with the expiration date auto-renewing to two years after each visit.

The search giant says the decision to make the cookies renew is so that users would not have to re-enter their basic preferences. Google does not require visitors to log in to store search preferences, using cookies to retain the data. The move follows a recent announcement that Google would anonymize its server search logs -- including IP addresses and cookie IDs -- after 18 months.

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By luckyme21937

edited Jul 24, 2007 - 10:55 AM

How long does other companies store cookies? If Google renews for two years after each log on and one keeps logging on to Google they would never delete ones cookies.

Score: 0

By motherboard

edited Jul 23, 2007 - 12:05 AM

I delete my cookies after every google session for I use gmail I do my work turn then cookies off. Well I'm still seeing a 2038 expiration date on the new ones. Can google even be trusted any more or have their egos taken over.

Score: 0

By Dsfargeg

posted Jul 19, 2007 - 9:06 AM

It's still the best if you completely turn off cookies for Google.
At that, turn off cookies for anything else as well except for the sites where you must have cookies (e.g. online shopping). Even there though, you should use temporary cookies which are deleted when you close the browser.

Score: 0

By luckyme21937

posted Jul 24, 2007 - 11:00 AM

I agree I do not use google I was doing good before they came along.

Score: 0

By heartitude

posted Jul 18, 2007 - 10:45 AM

Now Who in the world will keep a 2007 computer running till 2038 What in the world r U all thinking mine is 4 years old, Runs Great but somethings don't work as fast since it need Better Mother board , chip etc. DUH!

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Jul 18, 2007 - 5:15 PM

if you migrate profiles, those cookies follow you.

I recomend a purge of cookies at least once a year (I do it monthly, more out of habit that anything else)

Score: 0

By meb

posted Jul 18, 2007 - 9:09 AM

The 2038 is due to the largest 32-bit date integer. It's the undertaken by setting a 'no-expire' cookie.

Google is one of many, many sites that do it.

The two years will be in affect on ALL google cookies... including existing ones... once they hit a google site between now and ... 2038!

Score: 0

By XZAVER

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 11:37 PM

I wonder tho , what happens to customers who are still logged in with the cookies that expire in 2038 , will they be overwritten , or what ?????

Regards,
~X~

Score: 0

By Pegusis2

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 10:14 PM

I see the need to keep a cookie to keep the users settings... but the year 2038? Holy Cow Batman!

Score: 0

By Paul Skinner

posted Jul 18, 2007 - 10:18 AM

As someone mentioned above, it's equal to 'no time limit' as 32bit integers = 2038 as a maximum.
There's a wiki article about it somewhere.

Score: 0

By bsf

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 9:02 PM

I still sort of wonder why would you need to delete cookies from google. It's not as if there's any virus on the cookie...

Score: 0

By Lawrence01

edited Jul 17, 2007 - 12:36 PM

I just delete all cookies daily, end of problem.

use crapcleaner, its your friend...

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 12:18 PM

Or just do what I do--block cookies from google altogether. Gmail has its own separate .com name too, so it'll still work :)

Score: 0

By xyzcb1

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 11:57 AM

How about to set it to 3 months from last visit?

Score: 0

By dhjdhj

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 3:31 PM

How about 1 SECOND after last visit???

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 17, 2007 - 4:32 PM

Because that would be pretty damn pointless?

Score: 0

By foxfyre

posted Jul 18, 2007 - 3:57 PM

Sorta like most of the posts...

Score: 0

By spamspanker123

posted Jul 20, 2007 - 12:09 AM

Yup.

Score: 0

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