Cookies in Firefox on new computer

SiliconChip

I've recently bought a new laptop (ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED UM3402Y), on which I use Firefox 134.0.01 on Windows 11 Home 24H2. I've noticed with a few websites that the banner to select which cookies to allow is shown briefly then disappears before any option can be selected. In most cases this doesn't appear to impact site functionality, but one website that I have tried to use today is completely unresponsive.

https://www.omniplexcinemas.co.uk/ 

It won't scroll, and nowhere on the screen is clickable. When I try it in Edge the cookie banner is displayed and once I've made a selection the screen works as expected.

I wondered if this is at all related to Firefox Enhanced Tracking Protection but I've been unable to make any difference by changing settings. Has anyone else experienced this and/or have any idea how to resolve it?

HillStreetBlues

What extensions (add ons) have you installed?

flaneurs_lobster

I've got a pure, unadorned install of FF 134.0.1 and that Omniplex link brings up the cookies response pane as you'd expect.

My everyday Chrome browser w/ added security geegaws gets upset and acts as you've found.

I'm with @HillStreetBlues, check what else is running in your browser, AdAware? Malwarebytes? AdBlock? UBlock

SiliconChip

Thanks to both, Malwarebytes Browser Guard was added as an extension (presumably installed itself when I downloaded Malwarebytes Free with the intention of doing manual scans), disabling it has had the desired effect on the Omniplex website.

J_B

FF 13.0.1 on W10 here with U Block Origin and 'I don't care about cookies' add on

The website you show loads fine but then none of the options are clickable

Similar in Chrome

Works fine in Edge once I've accepted cookies!

Newcad

Yes it can be an issue on some websites if you have any extension that blocks, or automatically accepts, the GDPR cookie warnings.

It's actually the website being more fully GDPR compliant than most, and making sure that you yourself have read the notice and accepted or rejected the cookies.

It happens not just in Firefox but also Chrome and Chromium based browsers where you have those add-ons installed.
(EDGE is Chromium based).

Once you know what the cause is though then its easy to deal with.
You just need to make those particuar websites an exception in the blocker, and any auto-accepter such as "I don't care..."

eg. if it was happening here (it doesn't) then you would select this:

Eyeful

I would assume the website you are trying to use is not interested in your security but wants to obtain more information about you and to show you adds.

flaneurs_lobster

Eyeful said:

I would assume the website you are trying to use is not interested in your security but wants to obtain more information about you and to show you adds.

You've just described 95% of the internet. How do you think all this stuff gets paid for?

Newcad

Eyeful said:

I would assume the website you are trying to use is not interested in your security but wants to obtain more information about you and to show you adds.

As I said above - such sites are actually following the consumer protection laws/rules more thoroughly than websites that let extensions automatically dismiss the warnings.

You don't have to allow to let them collect cookies, but by law you have to read the warning.

We all agree that the GDPR cookie warnings were/are a pretty daft idea.

However the current laws say they have to be there, and that you shouldn't be able to bypass them automatically.

These 'problem' websites are doing exactly what the law says they should do, making sure that you personaly have responded to the warning, not just bypassed it.

Eyeful

flaneurs_lobster said:

Eyeful said:

I would assume the website you are trying to use is not interested in your security but wants to obtain more information about you and to show you adds.

You've just described 95% of the internet. How do you think all this stuff gets paid for?

The 95%.

1. By collecting as much personal information about you as possible. Information not needed to make the website work but so they can make use of it by themselves in some way or to sell it to others. 

2. Wasting you time & bandwidth with ads. Some disable their website functionality if you dare to use an ad blocker.