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> The browser window prefers to be set to a specific size Any idea how this works? Can you still set your browser window to any size you want in your window ma

> The browser window prefers to be set to a specific size Any idea how this works? Can you still set your browser window to any size you want in your window manager, does it misreport it? Could that not cause rendering issues too?

cowtools 4y ago
I can't seem to find this option in firefox, perhaps it refers to the feature in Tor browser that restricts the window size to a few most common resolutions.
gruez 4y ago
The two mitigations I'm aware of are: 1. by default, any non-maximized windows will default to a 1000x1000 viewport. This is consistent with how the tor browser works. Of course, this doesn't do anything when your window is maximized. On tor browser they warn you not to maximize your window for this reason. The idea here is that if everybody's window is 1000x1000, you won't be able to fingerprint based on people's monitor sizes, OS decoration sizes, and the user's window size preferences. 2. you can optionally enable a feature called "letterboxing", which rounds the viewport size to multiples of 100px. This works even if you maximize/resize your browser window.
- cpeterso 4y ago
  Seems like using a viewport size of 1024x768 would be less unique (and thus better resist fingerprinting) than exactly 1000x1000.
  - gruez 4y ago
    Presumably the idea is that other features of fingerprinting resistance (eg. UTC time zone, missing performance data) is already going to make it painfully obvious that you have it enabled, so there's no point disguising that data point. The only thing that using 1024x768 would help is against naive analytics scripts.
- Aardwolf 4y ago
  That's around 1/8th of the surface area of a 4K monitor so I hope a few other standard sizes will emerge
  - gruez 4y ago
    1000x1000 is measured in device independent pixels, I believe. ie. if you're using 2x scaling the window on your desktop would actually be 2000x2000.

cowtools 4y ago

I can't seem to find this option in firefox, perhaps it refers to the feature in Tor browser that restricts the window size to a few most common resolutions.

gruez 4y ago

The two mitigations I'm aware of are: 1. by default, any non-maximized windows will default to a 1000x1000 viewport. This is consistent with how the tor browser works. Of course, this doesn't do anything when your window is maximized. On tor browser they warn you not to maximize your window for this reason. The idea here is that if everybody's window is 1000x1000, you won't be able to fingerprint based on people's monitor sizes, OS decoration sizes, and the user's window size preferences. 2. you can optionally enable a feature called "letterboxing", which rounds the viewport size to multiples of 100px. This works even if you maximize/resize your browser window.

cpeterso 4y ago
Seems like using a viewport size of 1024x768 would be less unique (and thus better resist fingerprinting) than exactly 1000x1000.
- gruez 4y ago
  Presumably the idea is that other features of fingerprinting resistance (eg. UTC time zone, missing performance data) is already going to make it painfully obvious that you have it enabled, so there's no point disguising that data point. The only thing that using 1024x768 would help is against naive analytics scripts.
Aardwolf 4y ago
That's around 1/8th of the surface area of a 4K monitor so I hope a few other standard sizes will emerge
- gruez 4y ago
  1000x1000 is measured in device independent pixels, I believe. ie. if you're using 2x scaling the window on your desktop would actually be 2000x2000.