You probably had an automatic update applied which changed the settings slightly, usually it’s not an issue and closes security holes in the browser but sometimes unintended side effects happen....
I don’t think so. I have always for years had that option to disable cross-site traffic enabled, and never had a problem.
After I posted this vanity, I launched Chrome, set it up to allow cookies, but enabled cross-site traffic blocking (third party cookies) and it doesn’t work in Chrome either.
I disabled cross-site traffic blocking (allowing third parties to see where I have been browsing) and it works fine.
I am pretty sure it is that setting.
I think something is afoot.
I think more likely there WAS a change of some kind, but it wasn’t to enhance security, it was to enable some entity (Apple/Microsoft/Google/Verizon/State Government/Federal Government) to see my traffic patterns.
There has been talk of this by Apple, Microsoft, and Google to combat this ‘pandemic’ to help figure out where infected people might have gone.
For example, if you did a web search for a store’s hours of operation, that would indicate you may have gone there.
Yes, I am pretty suspicious. This is what they do in Communist China.