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.

Regulators have acted on this failure. In September 2025 the CPPA ordered Tractor Supply to pay a $1.35 million fine, and the order says its opt-out webform did not stop the third-party tracking technologies the company used for advertising. 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.