No browser is like the other And it is precisely this fact that also the makeup Many internet services. Because this leaves through the path during their walks Numerous traces in the form of the fingerprints so called. With these they can be clearly identified and are based on it, for example Individualized advertising displayed. In this article we explain to you How the browser’s digital footprint works and with what methods They protect themselves specifically from it Candies.
- With the help of the browser fingerprints, they can also be clearly identified without cookie.
- Due to the lower configuration options, smartphones or tablets are less susceptible to the browser’s digital footprint.
- There are various free services on the internet with which it is possible to determine the fingerprint.
1. What is the browser’s digital footprint?

Every time you are with your laptop or smartphone Establish an Internet connectionHands on your device A number of specific data for the reception server. These contain, among other things, Information on your operating systemthe version of the browser and active plugins, language settings, time zone or Websites visited by you. In summary, these data The so -called «Browser digital imprint».
Internet pages operators use digital footprintidentify and analyze their surfing behavior. User profiles are created by the data And based on this, for example Individualized advertising displayed.
There are Two different types of fingerprints of the browser:
- Al Passive digital fingerprints The information is automatically transmitted from the computer to the respective web server (e.g. version of the browser or IP address).
- Al Active digital footprint On the other hand, read a flash or java script (e.g. screen resolution or time zone).
Digital imprint works because most users make individual adjustments to the browserFor example with the help of plugins or additional components. In combination with the IP address can clearly assigned e The surfers can be identified – i.e. Completely without biscuits!
Good to know: A Special form of digital digital imprint It is so called «Canvas-fingerprinting«. THE Differences from the images created by JavaScript Converted into a hash value, with the help of which the computer (and therefore the user) can be clearly identified.
2. It is not possible to completely prevent the fingerprints of the browser

Unfortunately there is No 100 % protection Against the determination of the digital digital imprint while navigation. THE Features transmitted by the passive digital imprint (From the http header) The website operator receives in any case.
But at least you can try the Identification of your customer To make it difficult Individualizations of your system and browser Do without and change the fingerprint.
First measure: Block Cookies!
Next to the Block biscuits For example, you can also use these suggestions Recognition value of your customer Keep as low as possible:
- Alienate your browser and your IP address With anonymization software (e.g. Ghostty).
- Used Always the latest version of your browser and set Addons Plugin Oder A (for example the Canvasblocker For Mozilla Firefox) ,, active content (e.g. javascript o Silverlight – AND Flash-Aver applications) automatically so that this Do not transmit any information to the server Candies. But keep in mind that some websites It is no longer possible to reach from the deactivated scripts
- Prevent the Restoration of old cards. Before moving on to another network, always close the browser e Delete the associated cache.
- Use one for your network trips Proxy-server. In this way, the operator of the website can only The IP Des Proxys addresses Determines, but not yours. In the opposite case, only the Path of your computer on the proxy server be understood, The real goal remains unknown.
- Navigate over the Tor browser. This is designed To make all users the same on the Net And it also does not allow a canvas and a webgl.
Good to know: If you Navigate with a smartphone or tabletIt is usually created by the lower number of setting options Much less often a digital digital imprint. The Apple iOS operating system leaves, for example No installation of additional characters or plugins to what the user automatically traceable or recognized more difficult.
3. You can discover your fingerprint
There are various websites on the internet on which you Discover and view the digital imprint of the browser.
3.1. Amiunique.org
One of the best known services of this type is amiunique.org. To do this, proceed as follows:
- Open the website and click the «button»View my browser’s digital footprint“.

- Your browser now uses a database comparison with more than a million other browsers Compared to its uniqueness. You will therefore receive the result and percentages of the Customers of the previous tests with
- the same Type and the same Des browser version
- the same Operating system and one Identical version of the operating system
- the same Primary language
- the same Jet lag

- For Even more details Scroll down on the side. Here you can find among other things Screen resolution informationVideo and audio formats, as well as plugins and installed characters.

Good to know: amiunique.org comes from the pen of a team of developers of the BUT Rennes Engineering Schoolwhich also acts as a supplier for the service and according to their declarations Collect only anonymous data. Also, it becomes A cookie valid for four months Saved in the browser, with the help of this configuration changes When the test is repeated later Let me understand.
3.2. Panopticlick
As an alternative to Amiunique.org You can too PanopticlickDem Browser recognition service THE Electronic border foundationDetermine how sure your computer is It is before the undesirable monitoring. On the one hand, the Simula website A visible advertising bannerwith which tracing attempts are carried out and installed simultaneously A script that is carried out hidden in the background. In addition, the provider also checks on a dedicated website if this Non -track request from the user It also really follows.

In detail Panopticlick The following information on:
- Jet lag
- Screen resolution and color depth
- Browser des for user-agent
- Characters installed
- Allowed biscuits
- Javascript allowed
- Http-accep-header
- Operating system and linguistic version
- Screen hash value (by means of canvas or webgl fingerprinting)
- Send to the non -towing header
- Touchscreen support
- Additional components of the browser and plug -in (e.g. flash, acrobat or Quicktime) and their versions
From these values, the service therefore calculates a statistical value and sets it In relation to other tested browsers. You can see from this How unique is your browser.
3.3. Privacy.net analyzer
The free Privacy.Net webdienst analyzer is another way to test what information the browser reveal. Furthermore Visit the background service during the test, among other things, 30 popular websites, among other things on which you could access a biscuit.

The analyzer provides the following information:
- Basic information as an operating system, browsers and resolution
- Possible car filling attacks
- Representation of the user accounts accepted such as Gmail, Facebook, YouTube or Dropbox
- Potentially insecure browser functions such as Activex, Flash and other plugins, as well as the settings for «Don’t Take»
- Fingerprint analysis on how high the degree of identification is based on the data collected.
4. Additional information on the browser digital imprint
A summary of the browser digital imprint is available in the following article:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8lppk1i3xu
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