Q: Why do you recommend using antispyware software to get rid of tracking cookies? Isn't it more effective to just use the cookie-management features of a Web browser to delete these cookies or block them in the first place?

The cookie-management features in popular browsers don't distinguish between tracking cookies, a type of spyware that records your activities online, and the many helpful cookies you probably want to keep, like those that store your login information or preferences on a site. Some allow you to block or delete only "third-party" cookies, which might trap some tracking cookies placed by Internet advertising firms who aren't the actual operators of the Web sites you visit. But this may not always work.

Instead, I recommend using a good antispyware program, which every Windows user should be running anyway. These programs aren't focused on cookies in general, but on every kind of computer code, including tracking cookies, that qualify as spyware and adware. They detect tracking cookies by maintaining lists of the most common ones, and they update this information constantly. They leave nontracking cookies alone.

Of course, you could use both methods. You could set your browser to reject third-party cookies (assuming that this doesn't impair your browsing experience) and still run regular spyware scans to catch any tracking cookies that still make it through.