我们一直在撰写有关在线隐私(Online Privacy)的文章，并涵盖声称完全隐私的工具：代理、VPN(VPNs)和类似软件。但我们没有想到这一点，网站已经知道你是谁！该方法称为设备指纹识别(Device Fingerprinting)或浏览器指纹识别(Browser Fingerprinting)。在这篇文章中，我们将讨论什么是浏览器指纹(Browser Fingerprint)，然后看看我们是否有任何方法可以避免跟踪或追踪您的方法。
浏览器指纹
您使用任何浏览器访问的网站收集您的数据并根据该数据识别您的身份是Bowser 指纹识别(Bowser Fingerprinting)。几乎(Almost)每个Internet用户的浏览器都有不同的设置。不仅是浏览器信息，网站还可以运行JavaScript或Flash脚本来了解您拥有的计算机屏幕的类型、系统上的字体、Cookie(Cookies)等。
但是，如果您使用的是Proxy和VPN，这些东西重要吗？代理(Proxy )只会更改您的位置。它不会在您的浏览器中添加或删除扩展或更改其设置。同样(Likewise)，VPN也不会改变您的屏幕分辨率和像素深度。他们都不能阻止网站查询安装在您计算机上的字体或隐藏它们的序列以使其看起来像另一台计算机。
换句话说，他们不能修改或删除您的浏览器足迹(Browser Footprints)。尽管现在有一些选项，但在大多数浏览器中要求网站不跟踪您，网站可能会或可能不会接受该请求。您还可以使用一些第三方工具来帮助减少、跟踪和追踪您。它们确实有效，但无法阻止来自网站的查询。
阅读(Read)：如何保护 Internet 上的个人身份信息(How to protect Personally Identifiable Information on the Internet)。
回到什么是浏览器指纹识别(Browser Fingerprinting)，有第三方公司负责在访问特定站点的数百万其他人中识别您的身份。大部分数据是通过查询您的浏览器获得的：扩展程序的数量、已安装的扩展程序、浏览器设置、您允许存储在计算机上的 cookie 以及类似的数据。一些公司添加了一个脚本来了解您的系统配置。In short, they first identify you and then track you, usually for profit!
既然您知道网站可以使用不同的方法来识别您，您可能想知道如何逃避这种窥探。
如果您愿意，可以通过访问此 Panopticlick 链接(this Panopticlick link)(this Panopticlick link)来测试您的浏览器的独特性。该网站告诉您找出浏览器指纹的难易程度。
阅读(Read)：网站流量指纹(Website Traffic Fingerprinting)。
避免，禁用浏览器指纹
虽然有一些Chrome和Firefox的插件声称通过随机启用和禁用附加组件来完成任务，但我认为这不会真正起作用。它会使用这些特定插件进一步告诉网站您的浏览器。另外，它们只启用或禁用其他插件，因此即使它们被禁用，网站也始终可以读取所有插件和扩展存在的内容。
您可以在开始浏览会话之前手动添加一些插件。每次，您都可以删除它们并添加一些其他插件。这也不是防止或禁用浏览器指纹的可靠答案。
主要问题是他们可以使用Javascript 或 Flash 代码(Javascript or Flash code)查询您的计算机。Flash代码可以泄露有关您系统的良好信息。
我不确定，但我想我在某处读到过，您可以通过禁用计算机上的 Flash 来禁用系统查询，因为网站使用 Flash 脚本来查询您的计算机。如果大家有这方面的信息，请分享。(I am not sure, but I think I read somewhere that you can disable system querying by disabling Flash on your computer, as the websites use Flash scripting to query your computer. If any of you have information on this, please share.)
有些人可能认为使用InCognito或InPrivate 模式(InPrivate mode)可能会有所帮助。但是没有扩展，它仍然给你的浏览器一个独特的身份，“嘿，这个人总是使用隐身模式……但我可以看到他在浏览器上的扩展……等等，我也可以看到他的浏览器设置(Hey, this is the guy who always uses InCognito mode… but I can read the extensions he has on his browser… wait, I can also see his browser settings)” .
阅读(Read)：什么是网络跟踪？什么是浏览器中的跟踪器？(What is Web Tracking? What are Trackers in browsers?)
在您可以采取的防止或禁用浏览器指纹识别的几个步骤中，您也可以尝试以下步骤：
- 禁用 JavaScript(Disable JavaScript)。禁用JavaScript是对浏览器指纹识别的强大防御，因为它会切断网站用于检测插件、字体、使用超级 cookie 等的代码。但这可能会影响您的浏览体验。
- 使用TorButton。它标准化了大多数浏览器特性和字符串，也可以阻止浏览器中的JavaScript。插件也可用于浏览器。
- 了解如何 在 Chrome(block Canvas Fingerprinting in Chrome)和Firefox中阻止 Canvas 指纹识别。
- CoverYourTracks网站向您展示跟踪器如何看待您的浏览器，为您提供您最独特和识别特征的概览。
这就是我可以收集到的关于浏览器指纹的信息。唯一的好消息是，没有多少网站采用这种技术——然而！
如果您认为我遗漏了某些内容，或者您想添加一些内容，请使用评论框与我们分享。(If you think I missed something or if you wish to add something, please share it with us using the comment boxes.)
现在阅读有关跨浏览器(Cross-browser)指纹以及如何找出您的浏览器和计算机的独特指纹的信息。
Browser Fingerprinting. How to disable Browser Fingerprints
We have been writing aboυt Online Privacy and covering tools that claim total privacy: Proxies, VPNs and similar software. But we did not think about this, that websites already know who you are! The method is known as Device Fingerprinting or Browser Fingerprinting. In this post, we’ll talk about what is Browser Fingerprint and then see if we have any methods to avoid the method of tracking or tracing you.
Browser Fingerprinting
A collection of your data by websites you visit using any browser and identifying you based on that data is Bowser Fingerprinting. Almost every user of the Internet has different settings for his or her browser. Not only browser information, but it is also possible for websites to run a JavaScript or Flash script to know the type of the computer screen you own, fonts on the system, Cookies and so on.
But if you are using a Proxy and a VPN, do these things matter? A Proxy just changes your location. It does not add or remove extensions from your browser or change its settings. Likewise, a VPN too will not change your screen resolution and pixel depth. None of them can stop the website from querying the fonts installed on your computer or hide their sequence to make it look like a different computer.
In other words, they cannot modify or erase your Browser Footprints. Though there are options now, in most browsers to ask websites to Not Track you, the website(s) may or may not accept the request. You can also use some third-party tools to help in reducing, tracking and tracing you. They do work, but they cannot block queries coming from the websites.
Read: How to protect Personally Identifiable Information on the Internet.
Coming back to what is Browser Fingerprinting, there are third-party companies that take up the task of identifying you among millions of others visiting a particular site. Most of the data is obtained by querying your browser: The number of extensions, the installed extensions, browser settings, cookies you permitted to store on your computer and data like that. Some of the companies add a script to know your system configuration. In short, they first identify you and then track you, usually for profit!
Now that you know that websites can identify you using different methods, you might want to know how to escape this kind of snooping.
If you are inclined to, you can test your browser’s uniqueness by visiting this Panopticlick link. This site tells you how easy or tough would it be to figure out the browser fingerprints.
Read: Website Traffic Fingerprinting.
Avoid, disable Browser Fingerprints
Though there are some plugins for Chrome and Firefox that claim to do the task by randomly enabling and disabling add-ons, I do not think this can really work. It would further tell the websites about your browser using these specific plugins. Plus, they only enable or disable the other plugins, so the websites can always read what all plugins and extensions are present even if they are disabled.
You can manually add some plugins before starting the browsing session. And each time, you may remove them and add some other plugins. This too is not a solid answer to preventing or disabling browser fingerprints.
The main problem is that they can query your computer using Javascript or Flash code. A Flash code can give away good information about your system.
I am not sure, but I think I read somewhere that you can disable system querying by disabling Flash on your computer, as the websites use Flash scripting to query your computer. If any of you have information on this, please share.
Some might think that using InCognito or InPrivate mode might help. But without extensions, it is still giving a unique identity to your browser, “Hey, this is the guy who always uses InCognito mode… but I can read the extensions he has on his browser… wait, I can also see his browser settings“.
Read: What is Web Tracking? What are Trackers in browsers?
Among the several steps you could take to prevent or disable browser fingerprinting you could try these too:
- Disable JavaScript. Disabling JavaScript is a powerful defense against browser fingerprinting because it cuts off the code that websites use to detect plugins, fonts, use of supercookies, etc. But this could affect your browsing experiences.
- Use TorButton. It standardizes most browser characteristics and strings and can block JavaScript in the browser too. Plugins are available for browsers too.
- See how to block Canvas Fingerprinting in Chrome and Firefox.
- CoverYourTracks website shows you how trackers see your browser, providing you with an overview of your most unique and identifying characteristics.
This is what I could gather about browser fingerprinting. The only good news is that not many sites employ this technique – yet!
If you think I missed something or if you wish to add something, please share it with us using the comment boxes.
Now read about Cross-browser fingerprinting and how to find out your Browser and Computer’s unique Fingerprint.
