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What is your definition of "track you" in this context? If it's to pinpoint a unique device accessing a website even through VPNs and/or other IP changes, ther
by ranger_danger 11mo ago
What is your definition of "track you" in this context?
If it's to pinpoint a unique device accessing a website even through VPNs and/or other IP changes, there are an untold number of ways that apps can track you better than a website.
Apps have access to many device-specific APIs in addition to all the web ones, and every additional bit of information used can be added to the mix to create an even more unique fingerprint of the specific device accessing a website.
For example with phones, an app (even if it's mostly just a webview) may now also have access to your phone model, phone number, maybe your contacts or GPS location, and many other things.
- raw_anon_1111 11mo agoA website Can easily deduce your phone model based on the browser agent attribute which tells the operating system and the screen resolution with a fair degree of certainty, an app can’t get your phone number, it can get your GPS with your permission. But so can a web page with your permission. There is a standard JavaScript API for it. Contacts are also gated by permissions. And there is a Contact Picker API for browsers https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Contact_Picker_API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Contact_Pic...
- ranger_danger 11mo ago> an app can’t get your phone number Apps can absolutely get your phone number: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2480288/programmatically-obtain-the-phone-number-of-the-android-phone https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2480288/programmatically...