[HN Gopher] Test browser for web tracking - EFF
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       Test browser for web tracking - EFF
        
       Author : ed_westin
       Score  : 40 points
       Date   : 2023-11-05 20:31 UTC (2 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (coveryourtracks.eff.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (coveryourtracks.eff.org)
        
       | nabla9 wrote:
       | >Currently, we estimate that your browser has a fingerprint that
       | conveys 11.02 bits of identifying information.
        
       | einpoklum wrote:
       | TIL about a combination of supposedly innocuous, non-unique
       | information my browser is sending out which, _in combination_,
       | may identify me uniquely, or close-to-uniquely.
       | 
       | My test results say:
       | 
       | > Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique among the 187,426
       | tested in the past 45 days. > > Currently, we estimate that your
       | browser has a fingerprint that conveys at least 17.52 bits of
       | identifying information.
       | 
       | ... and that's _at least_. It might be double that or more if all
       | the information I'm sending out is orthogonal.
        
         | dylan604 wrote:
         | "Bits of identifying information: 4.37"
         | 
         | "Our tests indicate that you have strong protection against Web
         | tracking."
         | 
         | Thank jeebus. If all of my effort of setting the preferences to
         | block everything and running uBO showed as anything else, I'd
         | be depressed more than pissed.
        
         | contravariant wrote:
         | I've long since given up trying to remove the fingerprint
         | completely, best I can do is limit it and just add noise where
         | they (hopefully) don't expect it.
        
         | anonymouse008 wrote:
         | I'm not sure I agree with the calculation. Basically they use
         | each variable as independent when they are by nature not - as
         | in if you have iPhone in the headers, you'll probably have
         | certain ram and gpu hashes. So those aren't necessarily fully
         | independent bits of info.
        
       | syx wrote:
       | It's scary how much information browsers give out for free, I
       | wish I could use a browser that completely blocks and limits
       | fingerprinting but nowadays I can barely watch YouTube or
       | completing an online purchase flow with ad-blockers enabled
        
       | krackers wrote:
       | Javascript disabled and the result page doesn't even load. Does
       | that mean I win?
        
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       (page generated 2023-11-05 23:01 UTC)