Can someone help me understand this? If hundreds of thousands of people use a popular browser extension, how does that make it easier for you to be singled out among them? I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this, can anyone help?

  • Blaster M@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 days ago

    Browser fingerprinting takes measurement of things the browser exposes. If a browser exposes installed extensions, this can be used to corelate information. If awebsite checks if the browser loaded something or not, that also can be used to corelate.

    Example, you (ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) visited this website (trackingsite.xyz), with a screen resolution of 1920x1080, using a (Mozilla/firefox) browser. The three trigger pixels did not load, meaning you’re using an adblocker, and the remote font loaded from localhost, not google. Your canvas, microphone, and camera are all blocked. Your browser also responded to an api ping for (useful extension). Interesting. This same configuration was also on (othertrackingsite.xyz) and (definitelyalegalsite.xyz), both of which a browser with the same info navigated to for at least 5 minutes, so we know it wasn’t a mistype. This same browser configuration was seen regularly browsing these sites on [days of the week] at [time of day], indicating a regular habit.

    We know who you are and where you have gone.

    • Emberleaf@lemmy.mlOP
      1·
      3 days ago

      Okay, that makes sense (and thanks for the great explanation!). But, don’t website ads also track you? So if you’re not using an adblocker, can’t you be compromised that way? And wouldn’t a good VPN help with fingerprinting?