A classification of web browser fingerprinting techniques

Abstract

As the World Wide Web has increasingly become a necessity in daily life, the acute need to safeguard user privacy and security has become manifestly apparent. After users realized that browser cookies could allow websites to track their actions without permission or notification, many have chosen to reject cookies in order to protect their privacy. However, more recently, methods of fingerprinting a web browser have become an increasingly common practice. In this paper, we classify web browser fingerprinting into four main categories: (1) Browser Specific, (2) Canvas, (3) JavaScript Engine, and (4) Cross-browser. We then summarize the privacy and security implications, discuss commercial fingerprinting techniques, and finally present some detection and prevention methods.