What is fingerprinting and how can you be tracked without cookies?

For years, cookies have been the main focus of privacy policies and tracking blockers. But as users learn to delete or reject them, a more sophisticated and silent form of digital tracking has emerged: browser fingerprinting .

This technique allows websites to uniquely identify your device without having to store files on it. Although less known by the general public, it has become one of the most widely used methods for persistent tracking on the internet.

Fingerprinting involves collecting a series of technical data that, together, form a kind of "unique fingerprint" of your device. Some of this data include:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Screen resolution
• Types and versions of installed fonts
• Time zone
• Language settings
• Browser extensions
• Hardware characteristics (such as GPU or CPU)
• Browser configuration preferences

Although each piece of data is not identifiable individually, the combination of all of them is nearly unique to each user . According to research, more than 90% of browser configurations worldwide are unique and can be accurately tracked.

Unlike cookies, fingerprinting doesn't require permissions or files, making it difficult to detect and block.

Websites, advertising networks, and analytics services use this technique to:

• Identify repeat visitors even after deleting cookies
• Build browsing profiles over time
• Show personalized ads
• Detect fraud or fake accounts (especially in banks or social networks)

Additionally, fingerprinting can be combined with other tracking methods to create even more detailed profiles, even across different platforms or devices.

The main concern is that fingerprinting doesn't require user consent and is often not even mentioned in privacy policies. Some of the risks include:

• Constant monitoring without the user knowing
• Real impossibility of "disappearing" from the network , even using private browsing
• Use for price discrimination , censorship or algorithmic manipulation
• Technical difficulty to disable or avoid it completely

Unlike cookies, which you can delete, fingerprinting is more robust and works stealthily.

There are tools that allow you to check if your browser is unique and can be tracked:

These services don't track users, but rather show how an unethical ad network or website would track them.

Although there is no foolproof method to avoid it , there are strategies that help make it more difficult:

• Use browsers with fingerprinting protection such as Brave , Tor Browser , or Firefox with Enhanced Tracking Protection enabled.
• Avoid having too many extensions, as some can increase your uniqueness.
• Use advanced blockers like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger.
• Switch frequently between browsers or profiles if you handle sensitive information.
• Disable JavaScript when not needed (although this can break many sites).

While these measures do not guarantee absolute anonymity, they reduce the level of exposure and make it more difficult for a tracker to create an accurate digital footprint.

Fingerprinting represents a new level of digital tracking that surpasses cookies in accuracy and persistence . In a context where online privacy is increasingly fragile, understanding how this technique works is the first step toward protecting your digital identity.