Yahoo has provided detailed information about its data collection practices and cookie usage across its extensive family of digital brands and platforms. The technology company operates multiple websites and mobile applications under its corporate umbrella, including well-known properties such as Yahoo, AOL, Engadget, In The Know, and Makers.

The company utilizes cookies and similar tracking technologies across all of its digital properties to enhance user experience and maintain platform functionality. These cookies, which include web storage and other similar technologies, allow Yahoo and its subsidiary brands to store and retrieve information from users' devices when they visit the company's websites or use its mobile applications.

Yahoo has outlined three primary purposes for its cookie implementation across its platform ecosystem. First, the company uses these technologies to provide and deliver its websites and applications to users effectively. Second, cookies help authenticate users, implement necessary security measures, and prevent spam and various forms of abuse across the platform. Third, the tracking technologies enable Yahoo to measure and analyze how users interact with its sites and applications.

The measurement and analytics component of Yahoo's data collection involves comprehensive tracking of user behavior and device information. The company collects data on the number of visitors to its web pages, identifies the type of devices users employ (specifically noting iOS and Android platforms), determines which web browsers visitors use, and tracks the duration of time users spend on Yahoo's websites and mobile applications.

Yahoo emphasizes that while it collects extensive measurement data, this information is aggregated and anonymized to protect user privacy. The company states that the collected data is not tied to specific individual users, suggesting that personal identification is removed from the analytics and measurement processes. Users can access more detailed information about Yahoo's cookie policies through the company's dedicated privacy documentation.