Tracking protection breaks videos on zdnet.com
Categories
(Core :: Privacy: Anti-Tracking, defect, P3)
Tracking
()
People
(Reporter: Prabesh432, Unassigned)
Details
Attachments
(4 files)
Screenshot from 2019-12-05 12-43-28.png
User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux x86_64; rv:70.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/70.0
Steps to reproduce:
Steps to reproduce:
- Go to zednet.com
- Try to watch any video
(Take this video, for example: https://www.zdnet.com/video/alibaba-cloud-publishes-machine-learning-algorithm-on-github/ )
Actual results:
I think, this is happening ever since I updated Firefox 70.
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Updated•5 years ago
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Comment 1•5 years ago
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Even in private browsing mode where all extensions are disabled, the video doesn't play.
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Comment 2•5 years ago
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Hi Pranav,
I cannot reproduce this issue, I've tried several videos from zednet.com on Firefox 70.0.1, Firefox 71.0 and Firefox Nightly 73.0a1 and they all worked as expected.
Could you check if the issue occurs to you in safe-mode? You can find out how to do that here:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-using-safe-mode
If it also happens in safe-mode, please create a fresh profile and check it again. You have the steps here:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Managing-profiles#w_starting-the-profile-manager
Thank you for reporting!
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Comment 3•5 years ago
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(In reply to Peter_M from comment #2)
Just updated the browser to version 71, restarted the browser in safe mode, and the video does play only in safe mode.
Do I have to leave my life in safe mode from now on? What is causing this issue?
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Comment 4•5 years ago
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It is most likely that an add-on is causing the issue in this case.
You could try and disable them all while browsing in normal mode, then enable them one-by-one until you find the one that causes the issue.
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Comment 5•5 years ago
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(In reply to Peter_M from comment #4)
It is most likely that an add-on is causing the issue in this case.
You could try and disable them all while browsing in normal mode, then enable them one-by-one until you find the one that causes the issue.
Nope. Nothing worked.
I disabled them one by one, but it didn't make that website play the video.
As a proof, I will add another screencast video.
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Comment 6•5 years ago
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Comment 7•5 years ago
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Did you also try it on a fresh-profile?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Managing-profiles#w_starting-the-profile-manager
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Comment 8•5 years ago
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(In reply to Peter_M from comment #7)
Did you also try it on a fresh-profile?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Managing-profiles#w_starting-the-profile-manager
As per the link, I typed "firefox -P" and deleted all available profiles > created a new profile under my name "Pranav" > signed-in to the browser > Disabled all extension > Restarted the browser > open zednet.com > selected a video to play > got this error message again ,"We're sorry, but a problem is preventing your video from playing.".
Again I tried opening the same video from Private mode where there is no extensions enable or other things that I might have set > I got same error message.
Only solution is, re-installation Chrome browser.
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Updated•5 years ago
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Comment 9•5 years ago
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Which version of ffmpeg libavcodec/libavutil do you have installed? where is it installed? is it a system package?
what distribution of linux are you using?
Do you have issues playing videos with any other sites?
please attach the output provided by about:support
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Comment 10•5 years ago
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ffmpeg version 4.1.4-1build2(In reply to Jean-Yves Avenard [:jya] from comment #9)
Which version of ffmpeg libavcodec/libavutil do you have installed? where is it installed? is it a system package?
what distribution of Linux are you using?
Do you have issues playing videos with any other sites?please attach the output provided by about:support
Answer accordingly:
- ffmpeg version 4.1.4-1build2
- Ubuntu 19.10 64 bit GNOME 3.34.1
- See the attachment above
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Comment 11•5 years ago
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Comment 12•5 years ago
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Repeated Note: The website doesn't play video even in Private mode.
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Comment 13•5 years ago
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Please provide a copy of the about:support output
Can you play any other videos?
Otherwise, I suggest you perform a refresh of your profile to reset all preferences back to their default. You will keep your history and other data like that.
enable firefox sync to keep your extensions.
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Comment 14•5 years ago
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Comment 15•5 years ago
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@jean
(In reply to Jean-Yves Avenard [:jya] from comment #13)
Please provide a copy of the about:support output
I have provided it again.
Can you play any other videos?
No. Not of that website.
Otherwise, I suggest you perform a refresh of your profile to reset all preferences back to their default. You will keep your history and other data like that.
U mean clear everything like History, Caches, Cookies, etc. I think it's pointless to do since even in Private browsing mode, Firefox can't play the video of that website. And we all know history, caches, etc are not attached when we browse in Private mode as far as I know (Private browsing mode should be like that).
enable firefox sync to keep your extensions.
Syncing is on for Bookmarks, Login & Password, Add-ons & Prefernces.
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Comment 16•5 years ago
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The priority flag is not set for this bug.
:bryce, could you have a look please?
For more information, please visit auto_nag documentation.
Could you try using mozregression to identify the version where this stopped working? You mentioned that this broke somewhere around Firefox 70 and it would be useful to identify what change caused this.
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Comment 18•5 years ago
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(In reply to Bryce Seager van Dyk (:bryce) from comment #17)
Could you try using mozregression to identify the version where this stopped working? You mentioned that this broke somewhere around Firefox 70 and it would be useful to identify what change caused this.
Well, this still happening in Firefox 72.0.1 (64-bit) (which is the latest stable version); not just 70.
Are u sure about me trying this "mozregression"?
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Comment 19•5 years ago
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The priority flag is not set for this bug.
:bryce, could you have a look please?
For more information, please visit auto_nag documentation.
(In reply to Pranav bhattarai from comment #18)
(In reply to Bryce Seager van Dyk (:bryce) from comment #17)
Could you try using mozregression to identify the version where this stopped working? You mentioned that this broke somewhere around Firefox 70 and it would be useful to identify what change caused this.
Well, this still happening in Firefox 72.0.1 (64-bit) (which is the latest stable version); not just 70.
Are u sure about me trying this "mozregression"?
Yes, it would be useful to identify when the issue began as this will help identify what is causing the issue.
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Comment 21•5 years ago
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BTW I am having the same problem... using v72 on macOS 10.14. Problem been there for a while...not sure which version it started with.
Turning off all add-ons, Private mode, etc. all yield "We're sorry, but a problem is preventing your video from playing."
Seems to be on ZDNet sites...video plays on others.
For anyone encountering the issue, it would be useful to use mozregression (see comment 17) to try and identify if the issue started with a specific version of Firefox (or to indicate that it happens with every version).
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Comment 23•5 years ago
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I can reproduce this issue in FF 74 for MacOS but only with Tracking content in all windows enabled.
(In reply to Adam Stevenson [:adamopenweb] from comment #23)
I can reproduce this issue in FF 74 for MacOS but only with
Tracking content in all windowsenabled.
Thanks! smayer97, do you have enhanced tracking protection enabled? If so, could you check if reducing the level of protection let videos play again?
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Comment 25•5 years ago
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BINGO! I recently increased Tracking Content to Strict. Reducing it to Standard allows ZDNet to work.
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Comment 26•5 years ago
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So what would be the right settings to allow this site to work without compromising the settings for others? So far, this is the only site I have encountered with a problem.
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Comment 27•5 years ago
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(with the setting set to Strict)
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Comment 28•5 years ago
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You can disable tracking protections site by site if you click on the Shield in the address bar and turn it "off" for the current site. I tend to leave ETP Strict on and just disable where I need to for content to function. But each person has different needs. :)
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Comment 29•5 years ago
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Thx. Yes that would obviously work BUT this turns off ALL Tracking Blocking...Is there anyway to drop to Standard Blocking on a site rather than turning blocking off completely?
Thanks for checking that.
(In reply to smayer97 from comment #26)
So what would be the right settings to allow this site to work without compromising the settings for others? So far, this is the only site I have encountered with a problem.
It differs from site to site and relates to how they're scripting videos and tracking. Sadly, this means there isn't a one size fits setting which is best everywhere. That said, bug reports for broken sites are useful for Mozilla as it lets us better avoid breakages, so we always appreciate reports.
Moving this bug since it sounds like an ETP issue. I'm not sure if there's a way to tune the protection in the way mentioned above, but if anyone knows it's someone who handles that component.
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Comment 31•5 years ago
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So what is needed as one solution is the ability to adjust tracking protection level by site, not just only having it default to the user setting or turning it off.
Not sure how to raise that request.
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Comment 32•5 years ago
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Ok...raised enhancement request here:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1613711
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Comment 33•5 years ago
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PS...title above should be changed to ZDNet, not ZEDNet. ;-)
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Comment 34•5 years ago
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Looks like there is no need for "needinfo" request. Everyone seems to know what's causing this issue.
Somehow we need to tighten the privacy by making the video playable. Privacy is important.
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Updated•3 years ago
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Description
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