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Browser Privacy Settings Impact on Osano and CMP Banner Visibility

Updated 4 months ago

Summary

Certain browser privacy settings and tracking prevention features can block or restrict the Osano Consent Management Platform (CMP) banner from displaying or functioning as expected. This behavior is not an Osano-specific issue; it results from browser-level privacy controls that prevent scripts and cookies from loading before the site’s code is executed.

Behavior

When testing or viewing a site, you may notice differences in banner behavior depending on the browser and your privacy and tracking configurations:

  • In Microsoft Edge (Balanced / Recommended) mode, the Osano banner displays normally.

  • In Edge (Strict) mode, the banner does not display.

  • In Firefox, Brave, DuckDuckGo, and Safari, with enhanced tracking, the banner may intermittently fail to load or reappear periodically, even after consent is given.

This occurs because these browsers enforce enhanced tracking prevention mechanisms that block specific third-party scripts and cookies — including those loaded from cmp.osano.com (where Osano’s CMP resources are hosted).

Why This Happens

Browser-Level Blocking

Browsers like Edge (Strict), Firefox, and Safari can enforce privacy protections at the network and resource-loading level, meaning they can stop specific scripts or cookies from ever being downloaded or executed. These protections take effect before the Osano CMP script (osano.js) has the opportunity to load or run.

Since these restrictions are built into the browser’s privacy model, Osano cannot override or bypass a user’s chosen browser settings. This ensures users’ privacy preferences, such as enabling Strict Mode in Edge, Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) in Firefox, or Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in Safari, are respected and cannot be modified by websites or third-party tools.

In summary:

  • Balanced (recommended): Most scripts load normally, allowing the banner to display.

  • Strict / ETP / ITP: Browser blocks scripts before they run, preventing the banner from loading or saving consent choices.

  • Result: This is a user-initiated privacy safeguard, not a malfunction of Osano or your site.

Firefox (ETP) and Safari (ITP) Behavior

  • Firefox – Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP): Blocks known tracking scripts and third-party cookies from loading automatically.

  • Safari – Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP): Restricts or limits the persistence of third-party cookies and storage, often expiring them within 24 hours.

Because Osano’s CMP assets and cookies are loaded from cmp.osano.com a third-party domain, they may be manipulated or cleared by these mechanisms. In Safari, this can cause the banner to reappear every 24 hours, as the third-party consent storage is automatically removed.

Disconnect.me and Tracker Lists

Some browsers, like Firefox and Edge, rely on block lists such as Disconnect.me to identify and restrict known “trackers.” In some instances, these lists have incorrectly included consent tools such as Osano.

Osano does not function as a tracker—it does not identify users beyond an encrypted IP reference once consent has been granted. However, Osano’s inclusion on such lists can cause browsers to block CMP scripts. Our legal and product teams have contacted Disconnect to request removal, though this process is external to Osano and may take time to complete.

Legal Perspective

Osano’s legal interpretation is that if a user actively enables or modifies browser settings that prevent compliance software from functioning as designed, regulatory liability may shift to the user’s browser configuration rather than indicating noncompliance by the site or CMP. This is because such interference constitutes user-driven browser manipulation that knowingly disables consent functionality.

Key Notes

  • These behaviors are expected and outside Osano’s control when caused by browser-level privacy enforcement.

  • Edge Strict Mode, Firefox ETP, and Safari ITP can all prevent the Osano banner from loading or storing consent.

  • Behavior may vary between users depending on individual privacy settings.

  • Safari users may see the banner reappear daily due to ITP’s 24-hour limit on third-party storage.

  • Osano is not a tracker but may be incorrectly flagged as one by external block lists.

  • Our teams continue to work with list maintainers (e.g., Disconnect) to correct these classifications.

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