“Local shared objects, sometimes referred to as ‘Flash cookies,’ are data files that can be created on your computer by the sites you visit. Shared objects are most often used to enhance your Web-browsing experience. A website can write a cookie on your computer, and the next time you visit it will load that cookie and its information in a way that provides a more customized experience. For example, you may have asked a site to remember your login name. That information is stored in the cookie and retrieved on your next visit so that the website displays your name in the login field on the site.
A local shared object is exactly like a browser cookie, except that it can also store data more complex than simple text. Shared objects, by themselves, can’t do anything to or with the data on your computer. More importantly, shared objects cannot access or remember your e-mail address or other personal information unless you willingly provide such information.”