What’s scary is all of the ways they can track you even without your browser actively cooperating. For example, they can create an HTML5 canvas, render a bunch of shapes, and then probe individual pixels to get a read on your graphics card and drivers. The EFF has a very educational test you can subject your browser to in order to see how easy it is to fingerprint it based on these kinds of things.
Kind of surprised to see that Brave does much better in this test than Firefox with extensions (on Android)
Oh God, wait for the downvotes…
Seriously, this is the reason I started using Brave.
This test just keeps refreshing infinitely
I don’t use google stuff rn so…
Not even Google maps since I had an ad placed in my route so it clicked the ad while I was selecting which route to take. Bu bye
Use Organic Maps
What are realistic ways to protect ourselves?
Use alternative browsers (Safari, Firefox) and alternative platforms (iOS, GrapheneOS).
Presumably combined with Tor or a VPN or multiple ISPs.
Thing is, then you stand out as one of the very few people using that alternative.
but everyone in alternative can look same or have different fingerprint each time.
I’ve had some internal struggles on this. Have used graphene for a long time and the last phone completely avoided using any G products (not even sandboxed) but still worry about the hardware, especially with the new AI chips. Can’t imagine that the ability to fingerprint using their hardware isn’t available.
So I vacillate between Fairphone/PinePhone with Linux or just anonymity through the masses with iOS. It sucks, the whole turn. Either get a fully functional smartphone and pick your poison or use a limited or dumb phone but know your smart TV/car/computer/etc will still be there for vulnerability.
Apple tracks their users even more
Where are you seeing that?
Not sure there is. Dimensionality of the trackble elements is very high. All of them have to either be the same or fuzzed across large groups of users.
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Use browsers like Cromite, Iridium, Waterfox, Betterfox, Firedragon, Tor, Vanadium. Disabke fingerprinting in hidden settings or in about:config. Don’t install too much extensions, if you can, none. That can be used to fingerprint you. If you don’t have the need, disable javascript and webassembly. Change your useragent to something very common
I’m on grapheneOS using Ironfox (fork of Mull because it’s been killed off), I should be safe, right?
No. They are fingerprinting you when you use Google services, including Google ads on other sites.
IronFox enabled RFP. I’m guessing it is somewhat safe. Either that or Brave Browser but I understand if you prefer avoid using Eich’s software.
I wonder how it is deployed. If client side then uBlock Origin or NoScript might avoid.
They killed off Mull? Bummer.
The whole DivestOS project was ended, together with its apps :(
Is Mull VPN included in that? I’m not familiar with DivestOS.
I just updated the app yesterday, hopefully that’s not the last one…
Edit: I meant “MullvadVPN”
You may be confusing it with Mullvad VPN, which is an entirely unrelated company, and yes, it is going just fine.
Ah OK, got it. I was under the impression that MullvadVPN and Mull Browser were made by the same people.
This sounds like the WP Engine debate.
About that. I heard somewhere wordpress.com and wordpress.org are seperste entities, one for-profit and the other not, but Wikipedia doesn’t mention why they share the same name.
Mullvad also has their own browser with very instrusive ads about their vpn. Even if i used Mullvad VPN, i wouldn’'t use their browser
OK, so according to google, Mullvad Browser is a privacy-based browser, and “Mull Browser” is not a recognized term.
Do you have a link to where I can read more about “Mull Browser”?
No one is safe
That’s great
Also in the EU?
Probably. Very little will stop a mega from making money. Fines are budgeted as the cost of doing business.
Well, EU at least start to fine above a billion: https://www.enforcementtracker.com/
I strongly recommended installing EFF’s Privacy Badger on your and your relatives browsers.
This stops many trackers, and causes less side effects and less breakages than most filters (unlock et all).
If you have uBlock Origin then Privacy Badger is redundant. Also, more extensions = easier fingerprinting.
Privacy Badger focus on blocking trackers. uBlock origin blocks all kind of things Ads,Trackers,etc and so it have a higher risk of breaking sites.
Yes, they’re mostly redundant. Happy uBlock Origin users should probably keep using just uBlock. People who don’t use uBlock to avoid breaking websites, or just want to block trackers, should use Privacy Badger.
Another option if you wish to protect your whole network is to set up something like pi-hole or AdGuard. I recently set up pi-hole on our network. I’m shocked by the amount of blocked traffic coming from phones and windows machines. Don’t even get me started on the traffic from our smart tv.
What are these?
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how do they know where the tracking systems are?
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privacy-enhancing technologies
Ahh yes, of course!
If you are worried about privacy, you shouldn’t use Google anyway. I write this from a deoogled android custom rom
