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Not sure about with Firefox's built in tracker protection. But I recall reading that having ad/tracker blocking could actually make a user easier to uniquely id

by pflock 6y ago

Not sure about with Firefox's built in tracker protection. But I recall reading that having ad/tracker blocking could actually make a user easier to uniquely identify, because the browser now behaves differently than most: https://panopticlick.eff.org/about https://panopticlick.eff.org/about. My hope would be that built-in tracker will make ad-blocking browser traffic more ubiquitous.

autisticcurio 6y ago
Correct, as most people are non technical, they will leave their cookies alone and they can be identified. Those who wipe their cookies stand out as a subset of internet users, then other metadata can be used to further fingerprint the user using things like the time it takes to log into a website, do they use a search engine to access their webmail or do they use a bookmark on their toolbar or a bookmark in the main browser list of bookmarks. When keystrokes are sent back in realtime, like when people log into Amazon and other websites, your typing pattern can be used to identify you, as can your machine settings, like display size, fonts, addons etc etc. In a different domain, internet connected tv boxes and smart tv's can be used to identify the user from the InfraRed signals from the remote control, ie how long the user holds down a button, the speed they react to switching channels, fast forwarding, rewinding, changing channel, channels being watched (interests). The bottom line is, all this technology, not just web browsers, can be used to record meta data and then work out who is using it. When combined at the state level, the security services can work out if someone is/was really at home or has left their home without their mobile and then gone to commit some activity that might be criminal. When combined with biological sciences, you can work out even more about an individual, when they are sleep deprived, stressed etc. Thats why its truthful to say Science stole your privacy.
throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
Pretty sure mine is highly distinctive for exactly that reason, no cookies + no JS, but if all you can tell from me is when I'm online, what useful info will that give you to sell me to advertisers. Nothing. I'm worthless. Track away.

by pflock 6y ago

autisticcurio 6y ago

Correct, as most people are non technical, they will leave their cookies alone and they can be identified. Those who wipe their cookies stand out as a subset of internet users, then other metadata can be used to further fingerprint the user using things like the time it takes to log into a website, do they use a search engine to access their webmail or do they use a bookmark on their toolbar or a bookmark in the main browser list of bookmarks. When keystrokes are sent back in realtime, like when people log into Amazon and other websites, your typing pattern can be used to identify you, as can your machine settings, like display size, fonts, addons etc etc. In a different domain, internet connected tv boxes and smart tv's can be used to identify the user from the InfraRed signals from the remote control, ie how long the user holds down a button, the speed they react to switching channels, fast forwarding, rewinding, changing channel, channels being watched (interests). The bottom line is, all this technology, not just web browsers, can be used to record meta data and then work out who is using it. When combined at the state level, the security services can work out if someone is/was really at home or has left their home without their mobile and then gone to commit some activity that might be criminal. When combined with biological sciences, you can work out even more about an individual, when they are sleep deprived, stressed etc. Thats why its truthful to say Science stole your privacy.

throwaway_pdp09 6y ago

Pretty sure mine is highly distinctive for exactly that reason, no cookies + no JS, but if all you can tell from me is when I'm online, what useful info will that give you to sell me to advertisers. Nothing. I'm worthless. Track away.