What Is Post-Opt-Out Firing?

Post-opt-out firing is when a tag continues transmitting user data after a visitor has explicitly declined tracking, for example by clicking 'Reject All' on a consent banner. Unlike pre-consent firing, which is a timing failure, post-opt-out firing means a tag is ignoring an explicit choice altogether.

This is the failure mode behind some of the largest recent privacy enforcement actions, including the PlayOn fine: a visitor clicked reject, and the Meta Pixel kept firing anyway, because nothing in the site’s configuration told that tag to stop. A CMP recording an opt-out and a tag actually honoring it are two separate systems that have to be wired together correctly. It’s specifically what Consent Simulation is designed to catch, by testing tag behavior after simulating a reject action, not just before.