What is Browser Fingerprinting and How to Stay Away From It?

Abeerah Hashim  - Security Expert
Last updated: November 14, 2023
Read time: 22 minutes
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Web browser fingerprinting, also dubbed canvas fingerprinting, is a serious threat you must learn about and take the necessary steps to avoid.

As you visit any website, your device communicates with the site and sends your information to it, such as device details, location, and browsing history. These remain stored on the internet and serve as digital fingerprints. Its sole purpose is to enhance users’ browsing experience. Unfortunately, these fingerprints aid advertising agencies and snoopers in tracking your online activities. In addition, the browser-generated fingerprints provide enough data to impersonate your profile. Fortunately, there are effective methods through which you can control online tracking via browser fingerprinting. Learn more about how you can do it in this guide.

In the 1960s, the internet started as a privacy-oriented information-sharing and networking technology.

It continued respecting the users’ privacy for quite a while until Silicon Valley started rising.

After that, the tech giants and advertisers began leveraging the internet for monetization by increasing user tracking. These advertisers and tracking entities keep chasing internet users as they surf online.

Thanks to privacy advocates, people started becoming aware of their internet privacy. Today, 90% of American users deem their online privacy paramount.

That is why we have many anti-tracking tools, such as adblockers and IP masking tools. These tools tend to prevent the trackers to a certain extent. However, advertisers and trackers still keep hunting for users’ privacy.