How eveRy webSite is tRacking you 24/7. SiTe STaMpS
The article explains how websites use "site stamps" or digital fingerprinting techniques to continuously track users across the web. It details methods such as browser fingerprinting, cookies, and other tracking mechanisms that allow websites to monitor user behavior around the clock, often without the user's explicit knowledge or consent.
Background
- **Site Stamps** are a digital fingerprinting technique that embeds hidden tracking data directly into a browser's graphics pipeline, typically via Canvas or WebGL APIs. Unlike cookies, they persist even after clearing browser history and work across browsers and private/incognito modes.
- **Fingerprinting** (the broader category) identifies users by collecting unique device/browser characteristics — screen resolution, installed fonts, GPU model, OS — rather than storing a file on the device. Site Stamps are a more aggressive, hard-to-detect variant.
- **Why it matters**: This undermines user control over privacy. Since the tracking is baked into how the browser renders images, normal anti-tracking tools (ad blockers, cookie deleters) don't catch it. Regulators and privacy advocates are increasingly scrutinizing such persistent, opaque tracking methods.
- **Prior context**: The EU's GDPR and California's CCPA require user consent for tracking, but fingerprinting techniques often operate in a legal gray area. Major browsers (Safari, Firefox) have begun blocking known fingerprinting vectors, but the arms race continues.