The Secret World of Facebook and LinkedIn Cookies Revealed!
Find out how Facebook and LinkedIn use cookies for marketing and tracking and what legal aspects need to be taken into account.

The Secret World of Facebook and LinkedIn Cookies Revealed!
The digital world never stands still and new strategies that aim to precisely track user behavior are booming, especially in online marketing. An important aspect of this are cookies, which serve as a small but powerful means of storing information and providing personalized content. A variety of platforms, such as Facebook, use cookies for marketing and tracking to analyze user behavior in detail. Different types are used that serve different purposes.
As the Vienna University of Technology describes in its latest report, there are numerous cookies that Facebook uses for its advertising and tracking strategies. These range from **__fb_chat_plugin**, which stores interactions for 90 days, to **fr**, which activates ads and measures their relevance for three months. LinkedIn cookies also play an important role by tracking members' interactions outside of the platform (TU Wien).
Cookies in the context of data protection
Nowadays, the legal framework for the use of cookies is more important than ever. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG) stipulate that users must expressly consent before cookies are set. Companies need to carefully consider how they design their cookie strategies to meet legal requirements. First-party cookies, which come from the website visited, are often less problematic, while third-party cookies, which are set by third-party providers, are increasingly criticized (Ostend.digital).
Implementing effective consent management is crucial. Cookie banners must provide users with meaningful information about the cookies used and allow clear freedom of choice regarding their use. This not only ensures compliance, but also trust in the brand. A continuous cookie audit helps to create transparency and to use the collected data sensibly (Ostend.digital).
Effective marketing strategies
Another key topic is attribution in marketing, which enables real-time tracking of user interactions. As mentioned on Cometly, retargeting originated in this space and remains a key strategy. It identifies user actions and draws conclusions that optimize campaign performance. However, it turns out that many teams do not have the necessary cross-channel tracking methods in place, which often leads to fragmented data and inaccurate analysis (Cometly).
To realize the full potential of online marketing, it is essential to integrate various marketing channels and optimize ad campaigns through precise data. Tools like Cometly offer the opportunity to monitor the success of specific advertising expenditure and realize higher profits through better budget management. The right mix of tracking pixels, first-party cookies, and multi-touch attribution can make a difference in determining which ads ultimately lead to purchases and which do not (Cometly).
Overall, it shows: the world of online marketing is exciting and complex at the same time. Companies must prepare themselves well to meet both challenges – data protection and effective user tracking. With the right strategy and tools, you can achieve your marketing goals more effectively.