What is the ab cookie?
The ab cookie belongs to Agkn, a programmatic advertising and audience analytics platform operated by Neustar (part of the TransUnion group). It is a standard persistent HTTP cookie, not a session cookie, and it is set on the .agkn.com domain — meaning it is placed by a third party, not by the visited website itself.
It typically appears when an advertising tag, tracking pixel, or a script from a media partner integrating Agkn/Neustar services runs on the page for campaign measurement and targeting.
What data it stores
The ab cookie generally stores a unique identifier tied to the visitor's browser, used to recognize them across repeated visits to different sites that use Agkn. The exact value format is not publicly documented by the provider and may vary.
Data collected through this identifier is sent to Agkn/Neustar servers and may be combined with other browsing behavior data to build audience profiles used for advertising purposes.
What it is used for
The cookie's purpose is advertising-related: it allows Agkn to recognize a visitor across multiple websites (cross-site tracking), measure ad campaign effectiveness, and support behavioral ad targeting.
For site owners, this cookie is usually part of a chain of third-party advertising vendors (ad networks, DSPs, attribution platforms) integrated indirectly through media partners or advertising agencies, rather than installed directly.
Does it require consent?
The ab cookie falls under the marketing/advertising category. Under the ePrivacy Directive (transposed in Romania via Law 506/2004) and GDPR, this type of cookie cannot be placed before the visitor gives explicit, prior, freely given consent.
Site owners must identify all third-party scripts that trigger Agkn cookies, declare them correctly in the cookie policy, and ensure they do not load before consent is obtained. Failure to do so can be sanctioned by the relevant data protection authority.
How to block or delete ab
A visitor can delete or block this cookie through browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari all allow deleting cookies per domain or blocking third-party cookies). Anti-tracking browser extensions can automatically block the agkn.com domain.
- Site owners must prevent the script that sets this cookie from loading before consent is given.
- A CMP such as CookieFix can automatically block such third-party scripts (including those triggering Agkn cookies) until the visitor accepts the marketing category.
- Regular audits of site scripts are recommended to catch new third parties setting similar cookies.
Frequently asked questions
It is not malicious, but it is an advertising tracking cookie that enables identifying browsing behavior across multiple websites, which is why it requires consent under GDPR.
It is set by Agkn, a digital advertising platform owned by Neustar, usually through advertising tags or pixels from media partners.
Its typical duration is 1 year from when it is set, after which it expires automatically from the browser.
Yes, since it is a marketing/advertising cookie, it must only be placed after the visitor gives explicit consent through the cookie banner.