Google allows advertisers to fingerprint you for even better tracking [View all]

Google has announced a change to its advertising policies that will allow advertisers to use digital fingerprinting starting February 16, 2025.

Why it is important: digital fingerprinting uses signals, like the IP address, location, language, used software, or operating system, to identify devices and users on the Internet.

Numerous digital fingerprinting techniques exist, some even capable of cross-browser fingerprinting.

Tip: you can test your browser's anti-fingerprinting protections, or lack therefor, on the EFF's Cover Your Tracks webpage.

This tracking technique works well with other methods, but may also stand on its own. It offers several advantages over cookies, but only to the trackers:

Information may be collected without user consent or the user even knowing that it is collected.
The data is stored remotely, not on the user's device.
Unlike cookies, which can be deleted easily at any time, digital fingerprint data cannot.
Google announced the change on its Google Marketing Platform Help support website. According to Google, the updated policies "clarify the activities that we prohibit to better protect the ads ecosystem from harmful activities, while being less prescriptive with partners in how they target and measure ads".

https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/13/google-allows-advertisers-to-fingerprint-you-for-even-better-tracking/