Device Fingerprint Privacy

TL;DR

Your device fingerprint is a unique identifier created from your browser and hardware settings. It can be used to link personal information to you, even without cookies. This guide explains how fingerprints work and what you can do to protect your privacy.

What is a Device Fingerprint?

A device fingerprint isn’t about physical fingerprints. Websites collect details like:

• Your browser type (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• Operating system (Windows, macOS, Android)
• Installed fonts
• Plugins and extensions
• Screen resolution
• Language settings

Combined, these create a ‘fingerprint’ that’s usually unique to your device. Think of it like a digital barcode.

Why are Device Fingerprints Used?

• Tracking: Websites use them to track you across the internet.
• Fraud Prevention: They help identify potential fraud or multiple accounts from one device.
• Security: Some sites use fingerprints for extra security measures.

Can a Device Fingerprint Identify Me?

Yes, potentially. While not directly tied to your name, it can be linked to other data you provide (email address, purchase history) or combined with IP addresses and other tracking methods to build a profile.

How to Protect Your Privacy from Device Fingerprinting

1. Use a Privacy-Focused Browser: Browsers like Brave, Tor Browser, and Firefox Focus are designed to minimise fingerprinting.
2. Disable Third-Party Cookies: While not directly related to fingerprints, it adds another layer of protection.

   // In Chrome settings: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data > Block third-party cookies

3. Use Browser Extensions:
   • Privacy Badger: Automatically learns to block trackers.
   • uBlock Origin: Blocks ads and trackers, including some fingerprinting scripts.
   • CanvasBlocker: Specifically targets canvas fingerprinting (see below).
4. Disable JavaScript (Carefully): JavaScript is a major component of fingerprinting. Disabling it breaks many websites, so use with caution and consider using NoScript for granular control.

   // In Firefox: about:config > search for javascript.enabled > set to false

5. Use Tor Browser: Tor significantly masks your device fingerprint by routing traffic through multiple relays.
6. Regularly Clear Your Browser Data: Clearing cookies, cache, and browsing history helps, but it’s not a complete solution.

   // In Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data

7. Use a Virtual Machine (VM): A VM creates an isolated environment with a different fingerprint.
8. Change Browsers Regularly: Using multiple browsers can make tracking more difficult.
9. Be Aware of Canvas Fingerprinting: This technique uses your browser to draw hidden images, and the way it renders them is unique to your system. Extensions like CanvasBlocker can help mitigate this.

Testing Your Device Fingerprint

Several websites allow you to test how unique your device fingerprint is:

• Panopticlick: https://panopticlick.eff.org/
• BrowserLeaks: https://browserleaks.com/fingerprinting

These tests show how much information websites can gather about your device.

cyber security Considerations

While protecting against device fingerprinting improves privacy, it’s not foolproof. Combining multiple techniques (privacy browser, extensions, Tor) offers the best protection. Remember that complete anonymity is difficult to achieve online.