What are online fingerprinters?

Online fingerprinting and its technologies

Online fingerprinting is a method that collects data about a device’s software and hardware configurations. This data can include information about the operating system, browser version, installed plugins, screen resolution, and more. By combining these attributes, a unique profile or ‘fingerprint’ of a device can be created. This fingerprint can then be used to identify and track the device across different websites and sessions.

Technologies used

HTTP Headers

Every time a device makes a request to a server, it sends an HTTP header that contains information about the browser and the device. This information can include the User-Agent string, Accept-Language, and more. These headers can be used to create a unique fingerprint of the device.

JavaScript

JavaScript can access a lot of information about a device. It can detect the screen resolution, color depth, time zone, installed plugins, and more. JavaScript can also use the Canvas and WebGL APIs to draw graphics that can vary slightly between different devices (due to varying hardware on devices), adding another layer of uniqueness to the fingerprint.

Cookies and Supercookies

Cookies are small pieces of data stored by websites on a device. They can be used to track a device across different sessions. Supercookies are a more persistent type of cookie that can be harder to delete and can provide a more reliable fingerprint.

IP addresses

The IP address of a device can provide information about the geographic location of the device and can be used as part of a fingerprint. However, IP addresses can change and can be masked, so they are often used in combination with other methods.

The Impact of Online Fingerprinting

Online fingerprinting has both positive and negative impacts. On the positive side, it can help improve security by detecting fraudulent activity and can help provide a personalized user experience. On the negative side, it can be seen as an invasion of privacy as it can track users without their knowledge or consent. Therefore, as we move forward, it’s crucial to find a balance between leveraging this technology for its advantages and protecting user privacy.