Unfortunately some of the stuff that allows fingerprinting falls into a convenience vs privacy argument. It allows a website / web app to make changes to display things more appropriately, or have helpful functionality. That’s why when you use a browser that is very strict about fingerprinting, some stuff will break.
An even simpler example is the screen aspect ratio. On a small screen, you want to use as much of the space as you can, but that information can be used for fingerprinting. This was annoying on browsers like mullvad, before they updated the aspect ratio to something more modern.
That doesn’t excuse companies that abuse that data for malicious fingerprinting.
You’d rather have your browser use the bandwidth to download all 500 language versions and 200 otherwise localized versions of the website and use some random language as default, maybe chinese or spanish for being the biggest languages.
Is it possible for URL to request the one that i want?
I feel like i remember different language versions of webpages from before browser fingerprinting - though I guess I don’t know long ago it started.
Even so, it seems like it only needs to know my request as a one of 500 group. An individualised fingerprint of 1 in 10bn seems like overkill to me. Assuming that’s what fingerprint means in this context.
I’m ok to give them 1 in 500 resolution (or whatever rough order of magnitude) to tell them i want to read the EN version. That’s a lot less precise than 1 in 10 billion or whatever the fingerprint is.
Thing is, while it wasn’t called “browser fingerprinting” immediately, it basically started as soon as JS was around. And feature-detection / media-queries actually make for better compatibility than just User-Agent strings (and other headers).
Content negotiation never really caught on, as best as I can tell. There’s a number of headers that the client can send so that the server can select a version by language, content-type, and a few other things, but in all the web deployments I’ve ever done content-negotiation was never a consideration.
Or just the main language where the website is located. It isn’t difficult to add a language icon somewhere at the top or bottom.
Nothing about it needs to track the user. The only info you give them is that you can speak a certain language. Not that it is your main language. Or that you can only understand one.
Like the other person said, you’ve already become a data point by visiting the page.
Nothing about it needs to track the user. The only info you give them is that you can speak a certain language. Not that it is your main language. Or that you can only understand one.
Needs to, no, but they will. Regardless of whether or not it’s your main language, you will be a data point by selecting your preferred display language. Unfortunately, of course.
Unfortunately some of the stuff that allows fingerprinting falls into a convenience vs privacy argument. It allows a website / web app to make changes to display things more appropriately, or have helpful functionality. That’s why when you use a browser that is very strict about fingerprinting, some stuff will break.
An even simpler example is the screen aspect ratio. On a small screen, you want to use as much of the space as you can, but that information can be used for fingerprinting. This was annoying on browsers like mullvad, before they updated the aspect ratio to something more modern.
That doesn’t excuse companies that abuse that data for malicious fingerprinting.
I’d rather have less interactive (or whathaveyou) websites than the fingerprinting. The trade wasn’t worth it.
You’d rather have your browser use the bandwidth to download all 500 language versions and 200 otherwise localized versions of the website and use some random language as default, maybe chinese or spanish for being the biggest languages.
Is it possible for URL to request the one that i want? I feel like i remember different language versions of webpages from before browser fingerprinting - though I guess I don’t know long ago it started.
Even so, it seems like it only needs to know my request as a one of 500 group. An individualised fingerprint of 1 in 10bn seems like overkill to me. Assuming that’s what fingerprint means in this context.
Be requesting the specific language site you are giving them the information anyway.
I’m ok to give them 1 in 500 resolution (or whatever rough order of magnitude) to tell them i want to read the EN version. That’s a lot less precise than 1 in 10 billion or whatever the fingerprint is.
Thing is, while it wasn’t called “browser fingerprinting” immediately, it basically started as soon as JS was around. And feature-detection / media-queries actually make for better compatibility than just User-Agent strings (and other headers).
Content negotiation never really caught on, as best as I can tell. There’s a number of headers that the client can send so that the server can select a version by language, content-type, and a few other things, but in all the web deployments I’ve ever done content-negotiation was never a consideration.
Almost any information can be abused.
Dude, language detection is literally done with a simple HTTP header set by the browser. There is no need for all the other crap.
Website should just present me with a list of languages available and i click the one i want
And which language would it start in, in order to offer you this list?
Imagine if every site did this, it would be so cumbersome. Worse than the cookie banners.
And either way, when you select the language, you’ve given them the fingerprinting data anyway. 😂 Completely pointless.
The language that is chosen in the top level domain of the URL.
If it is a domain.es it is in Spanish.
If it is a domain.co.uk it is in English.
If it is a domain.it it is in Italian.
Or just the main language where the website is located. It isn’t difficult to add a language icon somewhere at the top or bottom.
Nothing about it needs to track the user. The only info you give them is that you can speak a certain language. Not that it is your main language. Or that you can only understand one.
But you are similarly revealing your language by going to said url.
yeah but now the website knows i speak english. that does not personally identify me. there are 5 billion people speaking english
ok nvm it’s 1.5 billion, still a lot.
Yes, because you’re privileged and happen to speak a common language. That’s doesn’t help those who don’t.
Like the other person said, you’ve already become a data point by visiting the page.
Needs to, no, but they will. Regardless of whether or not it’s your main language, you will be a data point by selecting your preferred display language. Unfortunately, of course.
Most of this stuff is done locally by the browser using media queries in CSS. There is no reason for that data to make its way to the server.