What’s scary is all of the ways they can track you even without your browser actively cooperating. For example, they can create an HTML5 canvas, render a bunch of shapes, and then probe individual pixels to get a read on your graphics card and drivers. The EFF has a very educational test you can subject your browser to in order to see how easy it is to fingerprint it based on these kinds of things.
I thought they were already doing this… what’s new now?
Someone needs to answer this
I wouldn‘t know, but could be it says something about that in the attached hyperlink.
I ain’t clicking Forbes slop lol
Nice try tjo
Also in the EU?
Probably. Very little will stop a mega from making money. Fines are budgeted as the cost of doing business.
Well, EU at least start to fine above a billion: https://www.enforcementtracker.com/
I strongly recommended installing EFF’s Privacy Badger on your and your relatives browsers.
This stops many trackers, and causes less side effects and less breakages than most filters (unlock et all).
If you have uBlock Origin then Privacy Badger is redundant. Also, more extensions = easier fingerprinting.
I don’t use google stuff rn so…
Not even Google maps since I had an ad placed in my route so it clicked the ad while I was selecting which route to take. Bu bye
Me neither, but I guess the tracking will also take place when you just browse the internet and visit websites, that have Google Ad Tracking technologies implemented (which could be the majority of websites). Tracking and Ad-Blockers like uBlock might help a bit, though.
The specifics are complex—these are the algorithms that ingest all the data signals you give off when browsing the internet on any device, some based on who you are—device, IP and credential identifiers, but also the sites you visit and apps you use as a map to be followed and analyzed.
What are realistic ways to protect ourselves?
Use alternative browsers (Safari, Firefox) and alternative platforms (iOS, GrapheneOS).
Thing is, then you stand out as one of the very few people using that alternative.
but everyone in alternative can look same or have different fingerprint each time.
Presumably combined with Tor or a VPN or multiple ISPs.
Do you think it can track me in duckduckgo on android?
If it is the Android that comes with the phone, it comes with Google Play and Google Services libraries installed. It is tracking you already. If you use Duckduckgo at least they will not know what you search for (and you will get better search than AI-ridden Google search…).
If you want an Android that doesn’t track you all the time, listens to you and those around you, etc etc, you need to use a vanilla android like https://lineageos.org/ as it comes, and not install the Google Services packages. This means that you may not be able to use some bank apps or popular apps such as Uber, etc that heavily depend on Google Services. Some chat apps may also have a delay in receiving messages.
Yes it sucks. It’s doable though. Welcome to the future. If we do nothing it will get even worse.
Edit: some governments are pushing for apps to not depend on Google propietary libraries. For example in the EU transit apps (city, trains ticket planners etc) are being migrated away from using Google Maps and into OpenStreetmaps, and those apps run nicely with a vanilla LineageOS. We need to keep this momentum.
Just checked on that site and my phone is too old. :/
And my phone is too new :(
:/ There’s old and cheap phones that are still supported. Support varies between models. I have a Oneplus 6 running the latest Android, 15, perfectly fine. It has 6 years. The camera is ok, but could be better.
Manufacturers and Google end support for Android phones within 2-3 years of their release (not 2 years since you buy it). Afterwards they don’t get security updates which is quite dangerous given that we do everything on the phones nowadays, and we will do even more.
Note that those old official, unsecure phones are allowed still to do banking and other things. Even if they aren’t secure. The manufacturers don’t care, they want you to buy a new phone every 2 years from them.
And the actually secure phones running LineageOS, with up-to-date Kernel and security patches, with latest Android, sometimes are not allowed to run banking apps or other things in the name of security. Google and manufacturers don’t care about security at all. They just want control.
Sorry, I meant that I checked the supported device listings and mine isn’t there. They have similar but newer models.
I also have a somewhat unique processor so even jailbreaking it is a bit crazy.
Check the unofficial builds on XDA. My bet is that it exists. The unofficial builds are rock solid if you’re wondering. I have a 10 year old smartphone that runs Lineage18 flawlessly on an unofficial ROM
I would also have a look at the XDA forum. A very large percentage of devices that are not officially supported have unofficial ports (Lineage and others) that run 99% as well as the official ones.
e.g. my old Galaxy S8 was not official supported but one of the staff members of XDA made a port that runs like an absolute dream.
Not sure there is. Dimensionality of the trackble elements is very high. All of them have to either be the same or fuzzed across large groups of users.
I’m on grapheneOS using Ironfox (fork of Mull because it’s been killed off), I should be safe, right?
They killed off Mull? Bummer.
No. They are fingerprinting you when you use Google services, including Google ads on other sites.
IronFox enabled RFP. I’m guessing it is somewhat safe. Either that or Brave Browser but I understand if you prefer avoid using Eich’s software.
I wonder how it is deployed. If client side then uBlock Origin or NoScript might avoid.
