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What a website may know about you?

While preparing the advanced materials on maintaining whistleblowers' anonymity, we came across a resource that clearly demonstrates the capabilities of your browser in extracting additional information about you.

What every browser knows about you

In particular, you can see the battery level, in addition, to the status in the social network login and internal network address.

Hardware-charesteristics

We also recommend you check your footprint   http://ubercookie.robinlinus.com/

It turns out that a lot of information can be collected:  web footprint is based on background information that may be unique.

User web footprint information

Another useful resource for testing the browser is https://panopticlick.eff.org

Impressive?

One more thing. According to the Princeton census website (The Princeton Web Census),  which analyzes more than a million websites, there are widespread following technologies: 

New browser features used for fingerprinting

Now look at the slide below: Visit of two sites only leads to the dissemination of information about you at 84 counterparties — third parties.

Visiting 2 websites results in 84 third parties contacted

More information is in the original presentation of scientists from Princeton University.

All this suggests only one thing - identification technology is constantly developing and counteracting them on your own may be tricky.

Of course, there are counter instruments, more secure browsers, special programs which block scripts, and more.

If you really want to be protected, along with these methods, it is advisable to use a third, independent, and impartial party that is specialized and interested in maintaining your anonymity. In public space, such functions are supposed to be done by reputable journalists, information publishers, and NGOs that care about their reputations.

In the corporate sector, we have such organizations, as the company Ethicontrol or independent audit firms, or independent human rights organizations.