Privacy

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How can we avoid fingerprinting? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 4 hours ago by Paddy66@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've been worried about this since Google switched to it in Feb this year.

Apparently the short answer is "you can't". Which is terrifying. Surely some clever peeps out there can find a way round it (for normies)?

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[–] hansolo@lemm.ee 14 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

You can. Librewolf with canvas blocker, Chameleon, and a JS blocker.

Canvas blocker and a JS blocker limits a lot of what Google can see and fingerprint per page. And you'll be shocked at first how many pages have google trackers that a JS blocker kills. It's easier to turn things on one at a time than claw back data once it's out of your hands.

Chameleon spoofs a lot of other details, like browser, system time, languages, headers, etc. So for what can be seen, it's always changing and harder to corroborate. This plus moving VPN locations is what is needed.

Also, TOR does the job, but not the most fun internet experience.

[–] s38b35M5@lemmy.world 9 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

There only problem being that 90% of webpages fail to load properly without JS, not to mention the ones that depend on features that aren't available LW enhanced protection enabled. Each page I visit, I have to create exceptions or they sit there blank.

[–] hansolo@lemm.ee 6 points 3 hours ago

Of course, and I'm saying that while turning JS on for Bob's website is maybe acceptable, leaving it turned off for gstatic, googleadmamager, etc. also on Bob's website is easier than the other way around. Layers of defense. Don't count on canvas blocker.

Though this is just for what you want to obscure. It doesn't make any sense to openly interact with Google or Meta products with all this going on. Use for your socials, anything tied to your name or face, regular vanilla FF with containers for safety. Let G associate that IP/geography and fingerprint with what you HAVE to do publicly visible. Then you close FF, change VPN locations, and open private mode Librewolf. It's full plausible deniability. Or use TOR, same same.

Convenience and security are a trade off. Find the balance that works for you based on your threat model. It's different for everyone.

[–] HelloRoot@lemy.lol 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

And to test whether this works you can visit

https://abrahamjuliot.github.io/creepjs/

[–] hansolo@lemm.ee 2 points 2 hours ago

And I pass this test, plus the EFF cover your tracks test, and AmIUnique, all the time.

[–] palarith@aussie.zone 13 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

You can’t, but this helps

Librewolf with anti fingerprinting turned on

Or https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/canvasblocker/

[–] RotatingParts@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 hours ago

The Mullvad browser is supposed to help to avoid fingerprinting. Mullvad Browser link

[–] jenesaisquoi@feddit.org 9 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

It's possible to block it to a large extent, but quite inconvenient. People don't like inconvenience.

[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 4 hours ago

It's not just inconvenient, it literally makes large parts of the internet inaccessible, even important and useful parts that are not just memes and SoMe.

[–] Enzy@lemm.ee 3 points 4 hours ago

Burn your fingerprints

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee -1 points 3 hours ago

You can, turn off your devices and go outside.