Most online users do not understand the benefits of cookies and mistakenly believe they invade privacy, according to an online poll by direct response and brand marketing ad network BlueLithium. Although cookies do not read or store personal or identifiable data on a user's computer, 64 percent of online users surveyed said they thought cookies invade privacy. Some 39 percent of respondents also said they delete their cookies and temporary internet files on a weekly basis - behavior that makes it difficult for online advertisers to behaviorally target audiences. In addition, 52 percent of those surveyed disable cookies needlessly before shopping online.