The issue with browser fingerprinting is that it is probabilistic in nature. It appears at a treasure trove of information to trace you on-line, not any particular person piece of knowledge. A VPN, as an example, can conceal your IP deal with and make you seem in a unique location. If sufficient of the opposite knowledge in your fingerprint is constant, nonetheless, it might nonetheless be used to trace you. Your IP deal with could also be totally different, however nearly all the things else about your looking just isn’t.
There could also be sensible use circumstances for fingerprinting, however you actually don’t have a lot say within the matter. Even with protections just like the GDPR, the second you load an internet site, there are seemingly a number of dozen (if no more) trackers copying the knowledge your browser shares for their very own functions. Providers like Fingerprint leverage that data to create an identifier, however make no mistake, the info is all the time there.
Learn how to Get Round Browser Fingerprinting
You’ll be able to’t get round browser fingerprinting, a minimum of not with out vital compromises to your looking expertise (extra on that later). Even if you happen to have been to spoof or obfuscate each piece of information your browser sends alongside, that’d in all probability work towards you. The objective with avoiding fingerprinting is to change into a Jane Doe on-line; you need to disappear within the crowd, so each piece of information that makes you stand out sends up a pink flag.
The easiest way to battle again towards fingerprinting is to cover or rotate sufficient data in order that it’s harder to trace you, not unattainable. And that begins with a VPN, although it doesn’t make you totally nameless. The clearest on-line fingerprint you permit is your IP deal with and bodily location, and VPNs conceal each. Extra importantly, lots of the greatest VPNs at this time embrace further instruments to fight fingerprinting.
ProtonVPN, which is what I take advantage of myself, contains NetShield to dam trackers, advertisements, and malware. It doesn’t stop fingerprinting, however NetShield can a minimum of seize and block requests from well-known trackers to make you a bit extra personal on-line. NordVPN has an analogous characteristic, as does Surfshark.
Essentially the most sturdy model of such a blocker comes from Windscribe. By its browser extension, you are able to do issues like rotate your browser’s person agent to make it seem as if you happen to’re utilizing a unique browser, in addition to spoof your language, time zone, and GPS data to match the VPN server you’re linked to. Once more, this won’t make you totally nameless on-line. However an extension just like the one Windscribe provides makes monitoring your fingerprint harder.