Can cookies be used for spyware on my computer?

[Political Prodigy]

Hi everyone, I do not know much about cookies and things like that and I was wondering if I deleted my cookies is it possible that I would mess up my computer?

 

[graphic7]

No, cookes just store temporary information from websites, such as logins and etc. Deleteing them will only make you re-enter any data into the websites that you visited previously.

 

[Political Prodigy]

Okay sounds good, Thanks

 

[Averagesupernova]

Not sure if it actually happens, but there is nothing to stop an application running on your computer from creating a cookie that would then just be waiting to be viewed by a web-site if so designed. Think about this if you illegally install software. A pretty basic form of spyware I guess. Application runs, cookie is created, you stop by the web-site of the company that created the software and low and behold you have a cookie on your machine that basically tells them you installed their software. Illegal or not I have no idea, but certainly possible. They may not be able to take legal action based on this evidence, but they still know what you have and will use this information in any way they can. I'm no computer genius though, so maybe I'm just full of it. Wouldn't mind some feedback though.