PrivacyAlso called: "device fingerprinting", "browser tracking"
Browser fingerprinting creates unique identifiers from seemingly innocuous browser properties.
Fingerprinting data sources
- User agent: Browser, OS, device type.
- Screen resolution: Display dimensions.
- Installed fonts: Detectable via CSS/JavaScript.
- Plugins: Flash, Java (mostly deprecated).
- Canvas/WebGL: Rendering differences.
- Audio context: Audio processing variations.
- Timezone/language: User preferences.
- Hardware: CPU cores, GPU, battery.
Fingerprint uniqueness
- Combination of 10+ attributes = highly unique.
- 80-90% of browsers have unique fingerprints.
- Persists across browsing sessions.
- Survives cookie deletion.
Use cases
- Fraud prevention: Detect suspicious behavior.
- Bot detection: Identify automated browsers.
- Analytics: Track users without cookies.
- Access control: Device-based authentication.
Privacy concerns
- Users can't easily clear fingerprints.
- Tracking without consent.
- Difficult to detect and block.
Defenses
- Tor Browser (uniform fingerprint).
- Privacy-focused browsers (Brave, Firefox).
- Browser extensions (Canvas Blocker).
- Disable JavaScript (breaks many sites).
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