You cleared your cookies. You disabled tracking. But somehow, websites still remember you. Why?

The answer might be Flash cookies.

Flash cookies (also called Local Shared Objects) were used to track users even after browser cookies were deleted. They lived outside your browser, stored by Adobe Flash Player. That made them hard to find—and harder to remove.

According to Cisco’s Privacy Survey 2024, 81% of users care about how their data is handled. But Flash cookies ignored that. They kept tracking users without clear consent.

So how do you know if a site is using them?

If you clear cookies but still get personalized content, Flash cookies might be active.

If you see old login info or settings reappear, Flash cookies could be restoring them.

If the site uses old tech or Flash-based media, it’s worth checking.

Flash cookies were popular on gaming and streaming sites. They stored more data than regular cookies and didn’t follow browser rules. Even after deletion, they could “respawn” cookies using hidden data.

This caused legal trouble. Companies like Hulu and Clearspring were sued for using Flash cookies to recreate deleted browser cookies (source).

Today, Flash is gone—but some old systems still use it. That’s why regular audits matter.

Tools like SeersAI help. It’s a 1-click compliance solution that checks for hidden trackers, manages cookie consent, and keeps your site privacy-friendly. No coding. No stress.

Want to learn more? Read the full blog post from SeersAI. It explains how Flash cookies worked, why they were risky, and how to protect your users today.

Don’t let outdated tech break user trust. Stay clean. Stay compliant.