Protecting yourself online is becoming increasingly complex. Although everyone knows about cookies tracking your online activity, few know of a new, more sophisticated way of tracking called browser fingerprinting. It collects different information about your computer and browser to form a fingerprint — a record through which businesses and websites can recognize and track you on multiple platforms without your knowledge.
This blog will demonstrate how browser fingerprinting is done, why it is important, and how to protect against it properly. We also discuss practical solutions such as block fingerprint tracking extensions, anti-fingerprinting settings guide recommendations, etc.
Browser fingerprinting is a technique websites employ to gather information about your browser and device to identify you uniquely. In contrast to cookies, which store information on your computer, browser fingerprinting occurs silently in the background by verifying some of the characteristics of your browser environment.
These are:
All combined, these innocuous data points create a fingerprint upon which your web activity is traced and identified.
With each visit to a site, your browser automatically provides some information to render the site properly on your screen. While this information is functionally necessary, sites and ad networks can also gather it to build a comprehensive profile about your device.
Websites collect technical information from your browser as small bits of code that execute in the background. They collect this information and create your browser fingerprint. Once you have a fingerprint, companies can identify you on different websites even when using incognito mode and clearing your browsing history.
Unlike cookies, browser fingerprinting is impossible to find out about and very hard to block. It makes it possible for sites to track you without leaving a trace on your computer. Its persistence is the reason why advertisers and data analytics companies adore it.
Browser fingerprinting can be employed to:
Because of these threats, protection against browser fingerprinting is a need for anyone committed to keeping their online lives private.
Browser fingerprinting is quiet and usually operates without you knowing. But there are some signs that could indicate you are being monitored through this:
If you find yourself exhibiting these signs, you should boost your browser fingerprinting protection.
Even though fingerprinting is advanced, there are useful tools and routines that you can implement to make it a lot more difficult for trackers to succeed. The actions below are tested-and-proven ways to lower your fingerprint and preserve your privacy.
One of the simplest defenses is using browsers that are made to reduce fingerprinting. These privacy-biased browsers decrease the unique data they transmit, making it more difficult for trackers to recognize you.
Some excellent options are:
Here, Tor Browser fingerprint defenses are the most robust since they effectively normalize browser behavior so users are anonymous from one another.
A very effective solution is the use of browser extensions that will stop fingerprinting scripts from executing. These block fingerprint tracking extensions block websites from collecting fingerprint data or encrypt the data they collect, making it difficult for possible trackers.
Recommended extensions are:
They add another layer of protection from browser fingerprinting and can be used in conjunction with privacy browsers.
To challenge your browser fingerprint's uniqueness and confirm whether your privacy utilities are effective, use the fingerprint audit utilities. Such utilities scan your browser configurations and indicate the level of traceability you have over others.
Frequent fingerprint audit utilities determine your exposedness and offer advice on how you can enhance your security.
Most contemporary browsers also have privacy features that can minimize fingerprinting. Adhering to an anti-fingerprinting settings guide will ensure that you are utilizing the right features.
Firefox has Enhanced Tracking Protection that automatically blocks most tracking activities. For extra security, activate its built-in anti-fingerprinting features in the privacy settings. This minimizes your browser's identity and makes it impossible for trackers to identify you.
Brave has Shields, which will stop any attempt at fingerprinting automatically. The settings can be modified for better protection by boosting the privacy levels of the browser in the settings menu.
Tor has been designed with anonymity and privacy. It reduces recognizable data by making every user's browser look the same. That is the reason defenses against Tor Browser fingerprinting are among the best today in fingerprint reduction.
Other than relying on specialized browsers and add-ons, following these general guidelines will strengthen browser fingerprinting protection:
Too many add-ons in your browser can provide identifying features to your fingerprint. Use only trusted add-ons for privacy.
While clearing out your data will not destroy your fingerprint, it keeps tracking in the form of cookies or cached data from being added to fingerprinting.
The more standard your configuration, the less likely you are to be found by trackers. Unusual screen resolutions, operating systems, or devices stand out.
Scripts used for fingerprinting usually use JavaScript to gather information. Disabling JavaScript completely might block some sites, but limiting it where you do not know the site allows you to maintain anonymity.
No tool can completely prevent fingerprinting, but by using several methods together, you greatly decrease your vulnerability. Employ privacy-resistant browsers, disable fingerprint tracking extensions, use an anti-fingerprinting setting guide, and make yourself much more difficult to track.
Fingerprinting methods are constantly being developed, so keep yourself up to date and update your tools and practices consistently to ensure you remain private.
However, if we talk about browser fingerprint protection, Tor Browser is unique in a certain way. Tor is specifically designed for anonymity and sends your traffic through several servers to hide your location. Tor's defenses of Tor Browser also save you even more by making every user appear the same to outside trackers.
If you desire complete privacy, Tor is still one of the best tools out there.
Privacy issues are on the rise while, concurrently, browsers like Brave and Firefox are doubling down on blocking fingerprinting. Fingerprinting methods keep improving, though. Regulation will cover some but users must take care of their own privacy.
Anti-fingerprinting settings guidebook, fingerprint tracking-blocking addons, and privacy-resistant browsers will be the tools needed when these technologies become even more prevalent.
If you're concerned with remaining anonymous on the web, try leveraging some of these tools for better browser fingerprinting protection:
Using these tools, in connection with carefully selected browsing approaches, will provide great protection against unwanted tracking.
Browser fingerprinting is a dirty and intrusive form of web tracking that hardly anyone even recognizes. Cookies are at least honest and you can just remove them, but fingerprints are nearly undetectable, persistent, and apparently impossible to remove.
Use browser fingerprinting protection techniques like blocking fingerprinting tracking browser extensions, using privacy-resisting browsers, and leveraging documentation to anti-fingerprinting settings to protect your identity internationally.
This content was created by AI