Websites requesting cookie privileges
Websites frequently pop up a message telling me to approve their use of cookies. If I decline, many times the web page becomes inaccessible.
If I ‘Accept’, does that circumvent my Firefox settings for cookies, either by changing the settings or by putting the website on an ‘Exceptions’ list? Or can I rely on my Firefox settings being unchanged and enforced even if I click ‘Accept’?
Sample popup: “We use cookies to improve user experience, personalize advertisements, and analyze website traffic. For these reasons, we may share your site usage data with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners. By clicking ‘Accept’, you agree to our website’s cookie use as described in our Cookie Policy. You can change your cookie settings at any time by clicking ‘Preferences’.”
The buttons are ‘Preferences’, ‘Decline’, and ‘Accept’.
Thanks.
Chosen solution
A website cannot override your Firefox settings, no. Firefox isn't even paying attention to whether there is a cookie consent in the page -- for all it knows, that button ordered a coffee. When the server or a script in the page wants to set a cookie, Firefox's response is based on whether that is allowed by your settings.
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For the website you are online with, you need to accept their cookies. Cookies contain information the website stores about you, your system, what you do on the site . . . . . If these cookies are blocked, the website may not work properly.
On the other hand, there are also 3rd party cookies. These are for websites that you are currently Not online with. Such does not mean there is a security breach. You would have to contact the website support and ask them about this.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/websites-say-cookies-are-blocked-unblock-them
Those cookies are possibly session cookies that expire when you close Firefox.
Thanks, but you provided general information on how cookies work. Knowing absolutely everything about cookies wouldn't answer my question. I'm asking about what Firefox does in a specific situation.
A website says I need to allow their cookies to do some nebulous thing. If I say "Okay", Firefox is still in ultimate control of how the cookies are handled. Does Firefox treat it as "Okay, you can do that, as long as it's in line with my cookies preferences in Firefox settings"? Or does Firefox treat it as "Okay, you can do that, and either my cookies preferences in FireFox settings will be changed accordingly, or you'll be added to an Exceptions list"? Or does Firefox treat it as "Okay, you can do that, even though it goes against my cookies preferences in Firefox settings"?
Modified by jmc7
Chosen Solution
A website cannot override your Firefox settings, no. Firefox isn't even paying attention to whether there is a cookie consent in the page -- for all it knows, that button ordered a coffee. When the server or a script in the page wants to set a cookie, Firefox's response is based on whether that is allowed by your settings.
Thank you, this is very helpful. I'm glad that this is what Firefox does.