The "HTTP 403 Forbidden" status code indicates that a server understands the request made by the client but refuses to authorize it. This means that the user does not have permission to access the requested resource, which could be due to various reasons such as insufficient user credentials or restrictions set by the server. When a user encounters a 403 error, it typically means they are trying to access a page or file that is restricted. This can happen on websites that require specific permissions or roles, such as admin access, or when content is blocked for certain IP addresses or geographic locations.