How the cookie became a monster

30 years ago, Lou Montulli set out to solve a fundamental problem with the internet, and accidentally created an entirely different one. On today's show, how the cookie went from an obscure piece of code designed to protect anonymity, to an online advertiser's dream, to a privacy advocate's nightmare.

Subscribe to Planet Money+ in ApplePodcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy