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The concept of a browser fingerprint being "unique" implies "worrying" in the sense that a user could then be tracked by their browser fingerprint. But simply

The concept of a browser fingerprint being "unique" implies "worrying" in the sense that a user could then be tracked by their browser fingerprint. But simply installing a font, changing screen resolutions, upgrading Java or Flash ("Browser Plugin details") or entering/leaving daylight savings time will result in the fingerprint changing. So the browser fingerprint, as presented, isn't really a great way for websites to track users. (And removing the aspects of the fingerprint subject to change, such as resolution and Browser Plugins etc., would then result in the fingerprint being less unique.)

SamReidHughes 13y ago
Installing a font, changing screen resolutions, or upgrading plugins doesn't suddenly make you unconnectable to the previous fingerprint.
green7ea 13y ago
This only becomes troublesome if you have a website into which you login. Any time your fingerprint changes, it can be updated provided you login to a controlled website before changing it again. This allows a fingerprint to be associated with an account or person. So facebook, gmail and this website could track the websites you visit given the fingerprint data as long as it is relatively unique. Let's now imagine an entity that scrapes most of the internet traffic and has connections within facebook, google, etc. This company could easily figure out what pages you visit using a combination of browser fingerprint from the request header and IP. This can be tied to a person using accounts. They can even identify who within a household with the same IP visits which website.
gurkendoktor 13y ago
How often do people on TFT displays change their screen resolution? I don't have either Java or Flash installed and I'm still unique.
- kojoru 13y ago
  The fact that java and flash are not installed makes you quite unique by itself.
  - gurkendoktor 13y ago
    Well, that's the default state in which Macs are shipped :) So I'm surprised that I'm unique to begin with.
chippy 13y ago
> isn't really a great way for websites to track users. You are quite right, this is true, however it's not really about that. Firstly this is one technique that when combined with other information becomes more valuable. Secondly it's not for websites to track users, it's for tracking companies to track browsers across multiple websites. For example: A credit scoring / user tracking company that your bank uses. You log into the bank system. You visit other websites which have a tracking system. The bank gets a profile of the types of websites you visit, to better profile the types of customers it has. The tracking service has a profile of the types of users that it sees, to better place advertisements for their other customers. Thirdly, a fingerprint of this kind is more of a multi-dimensional nature, than just a hash of the results. It allows for some variation, it will also update itself based on other information. For example "oh it looks like they have added a new font, but the other information is the same, and their behaviour across all the sites we track them is the same"...

SamReidHughes 13y ago

Installing a font, changing screen resolutions, or upgrading plugins doesn't suddenly make you unconnectable to the previous fingerprint.

green7ea 13y ago

This only becomes troublesome if you have a website into which you login. Any time your fingerprint changes, it can be updated provided you login to a controlled website before changing it again. This allows a fingerprint to be associated with an account or person. So facebook, gmail and this website could track the websites you visit given the fingerprint data as long as it is relatively unique. Let's now imagine an entity that scrapes most of the internet traffic and has connections within facebook, google, etc. This company could easily figure out what pages you visit using a combination of browser fingerprint from the request header and IP. This can be tied to a person using accounts. They can even identify who within a household with the same IP visits which website.

gurkendoktor 13y ago

How often do people on TFT displays change their screen resolution? I don't have either Java or Flash installed and I'm still unique.

kojoru 13y ago
The fact that java and flash are not installed makes you quite unique by itself.
- gurkendoktor 13y ago
  Well, that's the default state in which Macs are shipped :) So I'm surprised that I'm unique to begin with.

chippy 13y ago

> isn't really a great way for websites to track users. You are quite right, this is true, however it's not really about that. Firstly this is one technique that when combined with other information becomes more valuable. Secondly it's not for websites to track users, it's for tracking companies to track browsers across multiple websites. For example: A credit scoring / user tracking company that your bank uses. You log into the bank system. You visit other websites which have a tracking system. The bank gets a profile of the types of websites you visit, to better profile the types of customers it has. The tracking service has a profile of the types of users that it sees, to better place advertisements for their other customers. Thirdly, a fingerprint of this kind is more of a multi-dimensional nature, than just a hash of the results. It allows for some variation, it will also update itself based on other information. For example "oh it looks like they have added a new font, but the other information is the same, and their behaviour across all the sites we track them is the same"...