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Third-party cookies: Should I be concerned that I am forced to accept in order to access a site, if I delete them after every Firefox session?

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by lavery

lavery
lavery
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Friday 16 August, 2012 My internet service provider (https://my.gci.net/) blocks my entry to eMailGuard (a GCI spam and virus isolator) when I have third-party cookies disabled

When I allow third-party cookies I am able to access eMailGuard. I have used GCI eMailGuard and Firefox together for years and have had no such difficulty in the past.

This problem commenced 2-3 weeks ago.

I have followed all directions at http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/websites-say-cookies-are-blocked-unblock-them to clear all cookies and cache, with no change. Also, my default setting (see below) is to “Clear history when Firefox closes.” If I understand correctly, clearing history will also clear cookies and cache, so I do it every time I close Firefox.

Has Firefox changed third-party cookies parameters recently? GCI of course claims this is a browser issue. Should I be concerned about third-party cookies if I delete them after every Firefox session? Any comments or thoughts are greatly appreciated.

My current version is Firefox v.14.0.1 My Privacy settings are: • Tools\Options\Privacy • Use custom settings for history My selected (checked) custom settings are as follows: • Remember my browsing history • Remember download history • Remember search and form history • Accept cookies from sites (third-party cookies not selected) • Keep until: I close Firefox • Clear history when Firefox closes

Thanks, James Lavery Anchorage, Alaska ISP my.GCI.net

Friday 16 August, 2012 My internet service provider (https://my.gci.net/) blocks my entry to eMailGuard (a GCI spam and virus isolator) when I have third-party cookies disabled When I allow third-party cookies I am able to access eMailGuard. I have used GCI eMailGuard and Firefox together for years and have had no such difficulty in the past. This problem commenced 2-3 weeks ago. I have followed all directions at http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/websites-say-cookies-are-blocked-unblock-them to clear all cookies and cache, with no change. Also, my default setting (see below) is to “Clear history when Firefox closes.” If I understand correctly, clearing history will also clear cookies and cache, so I do it every time I close Firefox. Has Firefox changed third-party cookies parameters recently? GCI of course claims this is a browser issue. Should I be concerned about third-party cookies if I delete them after every Firefox session? Any comments or thoughts are greatly appreciated. My current version is Firefox v.14.0.1 My Privacy settings are: • Tools\Options\Privacy • Use custom settings for history My selected (checked) custom settings are as follows: • Remember my browsing history • Remember download history • Remember search and form history • Accept cookies from sites (third-party cookies not selected) • Keep until: I close Firefox • Clear history when Firefox closes Thanks, James Lavery Anchorage, Alaska ISP my.GCI.net

Chosen solution

Thank you jscher, both for the assessment of risk with new 3rd party cookies at each session (I am relieved that risks are low), and for software recommendations to manage 3rd party cookies. I can now choose among 1.) allowing 3rd party when I use the site; 2.) adding software to selectively allow 3rd party when I use the site; or 3.) change my ISP to another that does not require me to use 3rd party cookies. I am inclined to see 1 as the easiest path, but I am now better informed and have more choices.

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jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Keep until: I close Firefox

That's what I use for all cookies. If you start a new session every time you start Firefox, i.e., you don't resume the same session over and over, websites cannot track you 'across sessions' using cookies; you are a new person to them during each session (unless/until you log in).

Note that "Flash cookies" need to be managed separately.

As for this particular site, if you want to spend some time research it, you could install an add-on such as Firebug or the external Fiddler2 proxy. Both will show you each request made by the browser when you load a page. Then you can see which third party sites are involved and if you like make a specific entry to allow them in the Exceptions dialog.

lavery
lavery Question owner
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Chosen Solution

Thank you jscher, both for the assessment of risk with new 3rd party cookies at each session (I am relieved that risks are low), and for software recommendations to manage 3rd party cookies. I can now choose among 1.) allowing 3rd party when I use the site; 2.) adding software to selectively allow 3rd party when I use the site; or 3.) change my ISP to another that does not require me to use 3rd party cookies. I am inclined to see 1 as the easiest path, but I am now better informed and have more choices.