🍪 Cookie Prompt Management usability issues

[GuiltyDolphin]

This issue covers usability concerns caused by our cookie consent management (CPM) feature.

You can find more about how this privacy protection works in the autoconsent repository.

Terminology

• CPM = Cookie Prompt Management (our privacy protection)
• CMP = Consent Management Provider/Platform: software that provides (among other things) cookie pop-up functionality

Types of breakage

The following outlines the typical forms of usability issues we can see with our CPM feature:

• (T.A) prevented interaction

  Sometimes our feature will handle CMPs in such a way that the site doesn't recognise the CMP has been handled. In these cases, the site may prevent further interaction.

• (T.B) incorrect notice of management

  Sometimes the CPM will indicate that cookies have been handled, even though they have not.

Known cases

At the end of each example URL is the last date on which the issue has been verified.

• https://www.volkskrant.nl/ (2022-07-29)

  Breakage categories: T.B (incorrect notice)

  When navigating to the site, CPM reports that a cookie prompt has been managed, but the site immediately redirects to https://myprivacy.dpgmedia.nl/consent?siteKey=...&callbackUrl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.volkskrant.nl%2fprivacy-wall%2faccept%3fredirectUri%3d%252f and shows a CMP with a blurred background.

• https://www.kicker.de/ (2023-02-20)

  • (Android) page keeps reloaded when CPM enabled
  • Disable autoconsent on kicker.de #691

• https://www.epojisteni.cz/ T.A (2023-03-10)

  • (Windows) interaction is broken (overlay prevents interacting with the page)
  • Asana: https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204151514436943/f

• https://www.autotrader.co.uk/ T.A (2023-04-18)

  • (Android) cannot scroll
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204421509219519/f

• https://www.livescience.com/ (2023-05-08)

  • (Android) cannot scroll
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984449/f

• https://www.hl.co.uk/ (2023-05-09)

  • Android,Windows - site locks up and shows grey overlay
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204559320711146/f

• https://bild.de (2023-05-26)

  • https://app.asana.com/0/1114857721287938/1204659919386666/f
  • screen freezes on load (iOS)

• https://ksta.de (2023-05-26)

  • https://app.asana.com/0/1114857721287938/1204659919386666/f
  • speculative, likely same as surrounding issues

• https://t-online.de (2023-05-26)

  • screen freezes on load (iOS)
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1114857721287938/1204659919386666/f

• https://derstandard.de/ (2023-05-26)

  • blurred page background with no foreground when CPM is enabled

• https://duden.de/ (2023-05-26)

  • page freezes for a considerable amount of time

• https://welt.de/ (2023-05-26)

  • page freezes after a short time, for a couple of seconds, then shows cookie prompt anyway

• https://www.tomsguide.com/ (2023-05-30)

  • site hangs for several seconds (tested UK region, US seems fine)
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984554/f

• https://www.nationalgrid.co.uk/power-cut-information (2023-06-26)

  • screen is blurred and doesn't allow proceeding
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984681/f

• https://www.motherdenim.com/ (2023-07-13)

  • can't scroll. content not loading on pages like https://www.motherdenim.com/collections/denim-cropped
  • https://app.asana.com/0/0/1205010991570492/f

-https://www.healthline.com (2023-07-19)

• causes a full page ad

• https://app.asana.com/0/inbox/11472677167854/1205090295531385/1205093920706731

• https://pcworld.com T.A (2023-07-28)

  • (Android) page freezes for several seconds
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984854/f

• https://www.autotrader.co.uk/ T.A (2023-07-28)

  • (Android) page freezes for several seconds
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984854/f

• https://www.autotrader.co.uk/ T.A (2023-07-28)

  • (Android) page freezes for several seconds
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984854/f

• https://www.autotrader.co.uk/ T.A (2023-07-28)

  • (Android) page freezes for several seconds
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1200277586140538/1204522885984854/f

• https://www.larazon.es/ (2024-04-23)

  • If you click the "Rechazar todo” (reject all) button, they are rejected but the cookie popup doesn’t disappear.
  • https://app.asana.com/0/1201844467387842/1207097434253108/f

Other CMP providers with minor breakage

Minor breakage e.g., prompt might not show, but doesn't affect rest-of-site functionality.

• cookiemanager.net (2022-09-23)
• osano.com (2022-09-23)

Active mitigations (other)

• Disable CPM for spiegel.de and derstandard.at #521

Related issues

• usercentrics.eu breakage #477
• privacy-mgmt.com breakage #344
• privacymanager.io breakage #334