While I once hoped 2017 would be the year of privacy, 2024 closes on a troubling note, a likely decrease in privacy standards across the web. I was surprised by the recent Information Commissioner’s Office post, which criticized Google’s decision to introduce device fingerprinting for advertising purposes from

While I once hoped 2017 would be the year of privacy, 2024 closes on a troubling note, a likely decrease in privacy standards across the web. I was surprised by the recent Information Commissioner’s Office post, which criticized Google’s decision to introduce device fingerprinting for advertising purposes from February 2025. According to ICO, this change risks undermining user control and transparency in how personal data is collected and used.

  • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
    0·
    13 days ago

    There are online tests for it to determine whether you become more or less unique. The defaults in the extension are carefully set to minimize uniqueness, based on my research and per the docs. You’ll note it ones or fakes more than just the canvas API.

    I was using this before ff added it’s own noise system or of necessity.

    • N.E.P.T.R@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      0·
      13 days ago

      Online tests of uniqueness are skewed by the population who uses them, aka privacy-conscious aren’t the typical user even if a dataset overrepresents.

      My point was introducing Canvas noise isnt going to make you less fingerprintable, actually quite the opposite. Firefox’s RFP is much better at normalizing fingerprintable metrics and is native. Canvas is one of many many other fingerprinting vectors.

      If you go the route of trying to protect against fingerprinting through randomization, use the extension JShelter which seems to do much more noise than Canvas blocker does. I am still very skeptical of it (and other anti-fingerprinting extensions) because of how complex fingerprinting is.

      • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
        0·
        13 days ago

        So I’ve heard and read. Fwiw, I was reading into the state of the art many years ago when fingerprinting was more nascent, I expect it’s matured and gotten yet more advanced in the time since (unfortunately).

        Guess I gotta pause working on interesting, net-positive work for a little bit to see where things are, and how to properly combat it, lest I give out poor advice again.