I don't think I follow your reasoning, and do not see what the problem is with using Firefox. Perhaps you can give more detail to help me understand. CARE This is a public and web indexed forum please do not post sensitive or personal information. Don't post your email address.

You seem to be asking about two separate subjects.

Webmail from Google. Mine worked last time I tried it on a desktop. I did have some quirky issues on someone's Android but that is not what you are asking about. You will not really get a choice over where they put the site and the URL used that is down to Google. I still have a hotmail.co.uk address for instance but that is now on a page with an Outlook.com title and a live.com url

Your Search engine You can use whatever you wish surely. Just thinking about Firefox's search bar options you have choices with a very extensive range of additional options. Even if you use one of Google's search pages you may often customise your region.

Hi, I think I've seen that, and I'm not certain, but from memory, is there not a tick/check box with an Accept button (or similar) at the bottom of the 'data protection' page?

If you've done that and the page still comes back, the page acceptance might be stored in a cookie, so make sure you have them enabled: Settings for privacy, browsing history and do-not-track.

Hope that helps.

I have seen popups on a google account page asking that I accept their changed T&C. Of course I accepted them. (I set DDG as my default Fx search, and only resort to Google if DDG does not find what I want)

There may have been a period of grace and an option to accept later, but obviously if you reject the T&C it's goodbye Google A/C ! and any associated Webmail. I presume Googles T&C will explain they process all my email content for their own purposes, (as I am sure they explain they record all my searching) but I imagine Outlook/Microsoft/Bing will have similar T&C.

I am still unclear as to OP Britannia's reason or problem with using Google on Firefox, or is it a problem using gmail with Firefox ?

I still do not understand, unless

1. Britannia rejects Googles T&C
2. but still expects to have access to Google's services covered by such T&C.

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your responses but I guess I haven't explained myself well enough. If you want to use google in Europe they have to inform you of the data they will collect by default. A popup page asks you to say you agree or go to your gmail account and change your preferences (which it says will be remembered). I did this a couple of months ago and although google kept sending their stupid reminders, it worked and I was able to use FF. About a week ago however up came the popup window again, effective locking me out of FF, why, since all of my preferences had been stored and not changed again. If I use the Edge browser with google.co.uk I get a notification at the bottom of the page, I do not get a popup that stops the browser from working, which is what happens with FF.

Any chance you are clearing your cookies when you close Firefox or occasionally clearing cookies?

It might be that a cookie is saved when 'you agree' to that type of message, an with that cookie removed you get asked all over again. If that is the case, you should 'permanently save' cookies such as that. Don't ask me how to do that, I never clear cookies. And I retired my tin-foil hat years ago, due to the rising cost of aluminum foil and I used my last 'hat' to wrap leftovers for the freezer.

Hi again Britannia, Have you tried in a Firefox Private Browsing tab ? What happens then ?

We may well be on the same Island in the pond. As I said you seem to be asking about two things gmail and google searches. Of course if you Search with Google they like you to have your Google account open, which will also allow access to your gmail. Sorry I do not see the same issue as you I am not getting locked out of Google on Firefox.

As I mentioned previously I accepted their T&C and any reminders. However if I use PB tab I get the reminder again. The reminder popup tells me it is not changing T&C it is only reminding me of them. It also offers a tip letting me know it will be remembered across devices and browsers if I sign in to your Google Account before agreeing.

It does not stop me searching if I do not accept the reminder. In fact a search without accepting it actually produces a top hit to that reminder. I attach screenshots, the thumbnails expand if you click them.

Can you attach screenshots of what happens when you try to search from Firefox. I also suggest you test in Private Browsing & maybe try to start again by clearing your cache and cookies for the Google related sites. That should reset the situation and allow you to sign in to your Google account and click their agreement. Then consider reviewing your policies on cookies. See also

• Private Browsing - Use Firefox without saving history
• Firefox can't load websites but other browsers can
• Clear cookies and site data in Firefox_delete-cookies-for-a-single-site
• Enhanced Tracking Protection in Firefox for desktop

I have checked and cookies are not automatically deleted, also since I don't agree to the information that google are collecting I chose the second option which is to set my preferences at my gmail account (they say my choices will be remembered), so having done so I don't see how that is reflected in the cookies.

Also why does the Edge browser deal with google's request dramatically different to the way FF deals with it? Edge gives a warning but FF locks you out unless the whole charade is gone over again!

Thanks for the tip about PB, the warning does appear but the lock-out doesn't happen, so I'll see where we go with this.

Cheers.

Good that is progress.

Just a longshot* but Firefox at present has a bug affecting users when history etc is cleared at closedown, that could be part of your problems. (IIRC also other recent closedown & sanitise bug issues).

One effect of the bug is to have issues at close down that may not be visible, then on restarting it still has issues but may then have visible consequences like opening blank tabs instead of what is expected.

To sidestep any such issues (and other potential problems) without needing to make any lasting changes set up a new clean additional profile and test in that, leaving the privacy, history and cookie settings as the defaults. Exit Firefox then using Winkey + R will get the run dialogue and entering

firefox.exe -P

should start the Profile Manger

• Full details in Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles
• Does the Google search and Gmail work ok in the new test profile ?

Tip When using multiple profiles It is good practice to

• Use only an empty folder for the profile,
  • Just accept the location suggested & choose a short name like test2016.
• Do not delete or rename any profile.
  Risk of data loss, unless you understand profiles well enough to manage them manually without using the profile manager.

Britannia said

.... since I don't agree to the information that google are collecting I chose the second option which is to set my preferences at my gmail account (they say my choices will be remembered), so having done so I don't see how that is reflected in the cookies. ....

I think I am correct in saying Google will scan every word and picture in emails sent, received, or drafted. Seems odd you agree to that but not them recording your searches.

I use Duck Duck Go as my default search engine, gives the small guys a chance to compete with the giants like Alphabet/Google and has much better T&C.

We don't collect or share personal information.
That's our privacy policy in a nutshell.
https://duckduckgo.com/privacy

• Change your default search settings in Firefox_available-search-engines
• Add or remove a search engine in Firefox