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Fingerprint states that this service is for fraud detection, but they are actively discussing how they are circumventing browser privacy protections. So as a u

Fingerprint states that this service is for fraud detection, but they are actively discussing how they are circumventing browser privacy protections. So as a user my preference not to be fingerprinted or tracked takes a back seat in the name of fraud detection? So we should allow police to wiretap in the name of crime prevention?

mostlysimilar 3y ago
Tale as old as time. Think of all of the legislative attacks on encryption in the name of protecting people.
- A4ET8a8uTh0 3y ago
  My charitable take is that it does take both ends of the spectrum to arrive at a solution that does not exactly satisfy everyone, but is an acceptable place to stop the impossible arms race. The unfortunate reality is that we are nowhere the end of that race. Admittedly, that was the first time I read about fingerprinting in this manner and bypassing explicit privacy protections is definitely not something I would want for my future self ( or that my of my family ). In other words, I think you are right. Privacy probably needs to be codified. It may seem hard to do given existing entrenched interests, but you have to start somewhere. Not that long ago people thought buying people is 'just the way world works'. Things can change. Slowly, but they do.
deleted 3y ago
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neilv 3y ago
> they are actively discussing how they are circumventing browser privacy protections. I'd love to see a successful prosecution as something like a US CFAA violation, setting a precedent that puts the fear of god into the widespread slimy side of our field. But I suspect it will have to be a non-US country leading that, because a lot of the US economy and power is now tied up in widespread slimy behavior of our field.
kmlx 3y ago
> So as a user my preference not to be fingerprinted or tracked takes a back seat in the name of fraud detection? the issue is murky for certain use cases. take payments for example. fingerprinting is used at scale in that field, and for good measure. you want to be able to know the risk associated with a user (chargebacks, fraud, etc).

mostlysimilar 3y ago

Tale as old as time. Think of all of the legislative attacks on encryption in the name of protecting people.

A4ET8a8uTh0 3y ago
My charitable take is that it does take both ends of the spectrum to arrive at a solution that does not exactly satisfy everyone, but is an acceptable place to stop the impossible arms race. The unfortunate reality is that we are nowhere the end of that race. Admittedly, that was the first time I read about fingerprinting in this manner and bypassing explicit privacy protections is definitely not something I would want for my future self ( or that my of my family ). In other words, I think you are right. Privacy probably needs to be codified. It may seem hard to do given existing entrenched interests, but you have to start somewhere. Not that long ago people thought buying people is 'just the way world works'. Things can change. Slowly, but they do.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

neilv 3y ago

> they are actively discussing how they are circumventing browser privacy protections. I'd love to see a successful prosecution as something like a US CFAA violation, setting a precedent that puts the fear of god into the widespread slimy side of our field. But I suspect it will have to be a non-US country leading that, because a lot of the US economy and power is now tied up in widespread slimy behavior of our field.

kmlx 3y ago

> So as a user my preference not to be fingerprinted or tracked takes a back seat in the name of fraud detection? the issue is murky for certain use cases. take payments for example. fingerprinting is used at scale in that field, and for good measure. you want to be able to know the risk associated with a user (chargebacks, fraud, etc).