this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2025
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Amidst the glossy marketing for VPN services, it can be tempting to believe that the moment you flick on the VPN connection you can browse the internet with full privacy. Unfortunately this is quite far from the truth, as interacting with internet services like websites leaves a significant fingerprint. In a study by [RTINGS.com] this browser fingerprinting was investigated in detail, showing just how easy it is to uniquely identify a visitor across the 83 laptops used in the study.

As summarized in the related video (also embedded below), the start of the study involved the Am I Unique? website which provides you with an overview of your browser fingerprint. With over 4.5 million fingerprints in their database as of writing, even using Edge on Windows 10 marks you as unique, which is telling.

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[–] FE80@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Librewolf + uBlock Origin + Privacy Badger + containerise

For the comedy extra point, a user agent switcher can actively lie about your browser & OS.

[–] W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 14 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Using a browser like Librewolf is, itself a unique identifier bc not enough people are using it.

EFF has a tool that lets you check your “uniqueness” and bc I used a lesser known browser, it was easier to track me.

Not that I mean you shouldn’t use it. I just wanted to clarify that it doesn’t make you safe from ads. :(

[–] FE80@lemmy.world 12 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/ is the EFF tool.

My results say that I have strong protections against tracking, and that my browser is unique. It's as good as I can get.

The agent switcher also tells the world my Librewolf on Linux is Chrome on Windows.

[–] W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 hours ago

Thanks for linking it! I should have done that. And if LibreWolf is showing as Chrome on Windows, then you’re good!

[–] W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 hours ago

Thanks for linking it! I should have done that. And if LibreWolf is showing as Chrome on Windows, then you’re good!

[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 15 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I bought a used laptop from a yard sale and only use public Wi-Fi and never use the laptop for anything with my name on it.

[–] CluckN@lemmy.world 23 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Pfft amateur, I break into my local Applbee’s after 2AM and use their POS terminal browser to look at used cars.

[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 18 points 4 hours ago

Applebee's at 2AM which leaves a physical trail? Noob. I strap meshtastic nodes on wild dogs, using them as a Internet relay at 1-2kb a second, to look at manga leaks.

[–] realitista@lemmus.org 22 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Does anyone know if Firefox's claimed Anti fingerprinting technology is any good?

[–] mybuttnolie@sopuli.xyz 12 points 7 hours ago

it's useless. test it out with creepjs

[–] Quazatron@lemmy.world 23 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

I'm not looking to be anonymous, I want access to Stargate Atlantis that Amazon Prime is geo blocking from me.

For that, VPN works as advertised.

Why go through the trouble? fmhy.net

[–] jungle@lemmy.world 8 points 7 hours ago

Yep. That's how I watch F1 too.

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 30 points 11 hours ago (3 children)

It's always kind of funny when the Technology folks wade into well-researched and well-worn Privacy territory.

Do you want to not wave a giant flag of your activity to Google, Meta, MS, and your ISP when you do literally anything online? Either use a VPN and Mullvad (or Librewolf, but YMMV) browser, OR a VPN and Tor OR Tor with an https bridge if paying for a VPN will make you a target (Tor bridges are not for casuals, save them for those in genuine need).

VPN locations need to be changed. Frequently. Router level VPN at home becomes your "This is me" location, then make use of VPNs on each device when you want an extra layer of obfuscation.

There's not a lot of middle ground at this point, and it's not difficult.

[–] filister@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

You also need to change the devices browsers, extensions and timezones to stay anonymous or buy a device and set the most common fingerprint settings, so it is harder for those companies to track you down. It is a slippery slope, and you can check your browser fingerprint and avoid adding unique settings, extensions or anything that can help them to track you.

[–] artyom@piefed.social 5 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Router level VPN at home becomes your "This is me" location

You and a thousand other people.

[–] magguzu@lemmy.pt 6 points 2 hours ago

Yeah, but fingerprinting is effective by cross referencing.

There are 1,000 people with the IP 1.2.3.4

There are 500 people with the IP 1.2.3.4 using Firefox

There are 25 people with the IP 1.2.3.4 using Firefox with a 1440p screen

There are 2 people with the IP 1.2.3.4 using Firefox with the dark reader extension with a 1440p screen at 75Hz

etc.

So rotating the IP can screw with that.

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 7 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (3 children)

Does that mean my ISP can still detect if I'm going to websites they don't approve of if I'm using Mullvad as my VPN but using Firefox as my browser?

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 8 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

No, with a VPN the only thing your ISP sees is you connecting to a VPN server IP.

But browser finger printing, on the other hand, can identify you to every website you visit, due to info your browser hands over to every website... Such as OS version, Resolution, installed Plugins, browser settings, geolocation info, etc..which is often unique enough to identify you out of the whole of the internet.

Ironically, locking your browser down with more security features/settings/plugins often makes you more identifiable. Cause capitalism is god damned sure they are gonna track you and monetize the hell out of your information, whether its via your name, your user name, or just your digital fingerprint.

https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Jesus, this is scary stuff. Thanks for the link, gonna try my other browsers and devices when I get home.

[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 10 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Your ISP can’t tell who you are contacting if you are using a VPN, but websites will track you by other means.

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Ok, cool. It was mainly my ISP I was worried about.

Would be useful for me to find a browser that obfuscated fingerprinting efforts too though.

[–] limerod@reddthat.com 3 points 3 hours ago

If you use addons like Ublock-origin. You can reduce the fingerprinting. You can also disable 3rd party iframes, disable Javascript which can further reduce the data being sent to websites.

[–] lol_idk@piefed.social 44 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

If the NSA wants you, they will get you. But I can hide from most of you with just a little email relay and a VPN

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 17 points 12 hours ago (7 children)

I can hide from everyone, I just walk into the woods.

[–] halfapage@lemmy.world 13 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

introducing: infrared imaging

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 31 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)
[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 hours ago

Hey, buddy.

[–] halfapage@lemmy.world 10 points 11 hours ago

Remarkable! A new market nieche discovered!

Better spin up some start-ups fast! So much privacy just lies there in the forests, waiting to be sold!

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[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 57 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

The only real advantage you gain is being able to watch things outside your region. Without lots of work, you’re pretty easily traceable on the modern internet.

[–] ronigami@lemmy.world 11 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Most vendors are not going to trace you like that. They can, but it’s actually kind of nontrivial and not “easy.”

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

I’m more thinking about government. I gave up on trying to avoid ad tracking forever ago. But if you think a VPN keeps you safe posting “anonymously”, it doesn’t. That’s more what I’m referring to.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 19 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

I remember in 1996 my neighbor was in one of these fancy new things on the internet called a "chat room".

He got into an arguement with someone. It got heated. Until the other guy threatened to show up at my neighbors house.

My neighbor scoffed and laughed.

Then the guy put in my neighbors real address. To this day, that still scares me. And back then internet crime wasn't taken seriously. In fact doxxing back then may not yet have even been a crime.

[–] eleijeep@piefed.social 1 points 2 hours ago

Those were the days where if you knew someone's real name and town that they lived, you could just go and get the telephone directory for that area (the library had all of them) and look up their address and phone number. It would have to be quite a big town before you found multiple people with the same name.

[–] pumpkin_spice@lemmy.today 4 points 5 hours ago

FYI:

https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/doxxing-free-speech-and-first-amendment

In the US, "doxxing" laws are pretty much state-by-state and many may be violating the first amendment.

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[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 19 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Pfft, I have 12 firewalls, good luck decrypting these. 🤓

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 11 hours ago

I'll just get 3 hackers to my keyboard, just wait.

[–] afox@lemmy.world 20 points 14 hours ago (9 children)

Good luck I'm behind 7 proxies

[–] ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 hours ago

That's the point. It doesn't matter how many middle layers there are, if you're using a web browser, there are hundreds of pieces of information that can still be used to uniquely identify you. Do you have WebGL enabled? If so, you could be identified with 100 constantly changing proxies.

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