1974449 - Existing ETP "strict" users should not be opted into baseline or convenience allow-list category

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Core :: Privacy: Anti-Tracking, task, P1)

Description

[Emma Zühlcke [:emz]]

For existing clients set to ETP "strict" or "custom" that upgrade to the latest version, we don't want to automatically opt-in to the new allow-list mechanism.

Currently both baseline and convenience category prefs are set to true by default: https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/058836008f131ae5591d04952a1500c9f94bedbc/modules/libpref/init/StaticPrefList.yaml#15856-15866
This reflects the ETP "standard" state. When users switch to ETP "strict" we automatically only check "baseline" for them. However, this doesn't include existing profiles. Since the preferences code won't run for them, unless the explicitly open that page, they will default to the default pref state of "baseline" and "convenience" enabled.

We might need to add migration code that, for old clients on ETP "strict" or "custom", sets both "baseline" and "convenience" prefs to false.

Comment 1

[Emma Zühlcke [:emz]]

Attachment: Bug 1974449 - Add a migration for url classifier allow-list categories for ETP 'strict' and 'custom' users. r=#anti-tracking!

Comment 2

[Emma Zühlcke [:emz]]

Attachment: Bug 1974449 - Add tests for category prefs migration. r=#anti-tracking!

Comment 3

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/36826bbe9a5f
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/c293ec50b1cf
Add a migration for url classifier allow-list categories for ETP 'strict' and 'custom' users. r=anti-tracking-reviewers,timhuang
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/1d6ec213c3db
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/08bfdbb40e84
Add tests for category prefs migration. r=anti-tracking-reviewers,timhuang

Comment 4

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/d693d6f797b3
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/c0c3a1b4e13e
Revert "Bug 1974449 - Add tests for category prefs migration. r=anti-tracking-reviewers,timhuang" bc failures @ browser_siteSpecificWorkAroundsComplex.js

Comment 5

[Sandor Molnar[:smolnar]]

Backed out for causing bc failures @ browser_siteSpecificWorkAroundsComplex.js

Backout link: https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/c0c3a1b4e13e681dbdf5bc163bc6fe52f66f4a14

Push with failures

Failure log

TEST-PASS | toolkit/components/antitracking/test/browser/browser_siteSpecificWorkAroundsComplex.js | Tracker access should be allowed in normal browsing, because TP is disabled. - 
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.716+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Load tracker in private browsing.
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.716+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Buffered messages logged at 14:09:54
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.716+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Create an iframe loading tracking.example.org.
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.717+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Buffered messages finished
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - TEST-UNEXPECTED-FAIL | toolkit/components/antitracking/test/browser/browser_siteSpecificWorkAroundsComplex.js | Tracker access should be allowed in private browsing even though TP is enabled, because it's allow-listed. - Got false, expected true
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Stack trace:
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochikit/content/browser-test.js:test_is:1689
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochitests/content/browser/toolkit/components/antitracking/test/browser/browser_siteSpecificWorkAroundsComplex.js:test_private_browsing_exception:237
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochikit/content/browser-test.js:handleTask:1205
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochikit/content/browser-test.js:_runTaskBasedTest:1277
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochikit/content/browser-test.js:Tester_execTest:1418
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.718+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochikit/content/browser-test.js:nextTest/<:1194
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.719+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - chrome://mochikit/content/tests/SimpleTest/SimpleTest.js:SimpleTest.waitForFocus/<:1058
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.719+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Switch to ETP 'strict' mode.
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:55.940+00:00] 14:09:55     INFO - Load tracker in normal browsing.
[task 2025-07-01T14:09:56.990+00:00] 14:09:56     INFO - Create an iframe loading tracking.example.org.

Comment 6

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes]]

Since this was backed-out, FYI this triggered failures such as Bug 1975005 and Bug 1975007 (test-verify runs with --compare-preferences since Bug 1816549). It seems we leak the preference privacy.trackingprotection.allow_list.hasMigratedCategoryPrefs after mochitests asserting tracking protection end.

Comment 7

[Emma Zühlcke [:emz]]

Attachment: Bug 1974449 - Add privacy.trackingprotection.allow_list.hasMigratedCategoryPrefs to ignorePrefs.json as it is modified on startup. r=standard8!

Comment 8

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/ea6e866ec26a
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/b4d10bb2f9b1
Add a migration for url classifier allow-list categories for ETP 'strict' and 'custom' users. r=anti-tracking-reviewers,timhuang
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/dc052ead9bf8
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/4ec575182fe0
Add tests for category prefs migration. r=anti-tracking-reviewers,timhuang
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/7be9c9659983
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/5de6d3b62d9c
Add privacy.trackingprotection.allow_list.hasMigratedCategoryPrefs to ignorePrefs.json as it is modified on startup. r=Standard8

Comment 9

[pstanciu]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/b4d10bb2f9b1
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/4ec575182fe0
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/5de6d3b62d9c

Comment 10

[Emma Zühlcke [:emz]]

(In reply to Julian Descottes [:jdescottes] from comment #6)

Since this was backed-out, FYI this triggered failures such as Bug 1975005 and Bug 1975007 (test-verify runs with --compare-preferences since Bug 1816549). It seems we leak the preference privacy.trackingprotection.allow_list.hasMigratedCategoryPrefs after mochitests asserting tracking protection end.

Thanks for letting me know. I've added the pref to the ignore list so those test failures shouldn't show up anymore.