Browser fingerprinting has emerged as a more sophisticated privacy threat compared to traditional cookies. This technology allows websites to uniquely identify your device without storing any files, simply by gathering technical data such as screen resolution, hardware specifications, time zone, and installed fonts.
Unlike cookies, which can be easily blocked, browser fingerprinting operates silently through JavaScript scripts and server-side signals. Seemingly harmless data, when combined, can create a unique digital fingerprint for your browser. Consequently, your browsing activity can be tracked across sites without your knowledge.
Fortunately, modern browsers like Safari, Firefox, Brave, and Edge have built-in protection features that can be activated for free. This article will explore how to prevent browser fingerprinting across various popular browsers, including additional options for Chrome users who need extra solutions.
Understanding Browser Fingerprinting
Browser fingerprinting is an advanced tracking method where websites collect technical details about your device, from the operating system to GPU drivers, to create a unique digital identification for your browser. This identity is then used to record visit sessions and track browsing activity across the web, completely independent of cookies.
While modern browsers have strong cookie blockers, even specialized security solutions like internet security apps, private browsing modes, and VPNs struggle to completely stop browser fingerprinting.
Testing Your Browser's Vulnerability
If you're curious about what data might be leaking from your browser, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Cover Your Tracks site can assist. This site runs a free scan to show how vulnerable your browser is to tracking.
The scan results will inform you whether you have active cookies or trackers, as well as the types of data that are leaking and accessible by fingerprinting technology. For instance, a scan on the Chromium-based Arc Browser revealed a leakage of 18.26 bits of identity information, including time zone, language preferences, font libraries, and unique fingerprints through Canvas and WebGL rendering, even after cookies and trackers were disabled at the browser level.
Steps to Mitigate Browser Fingerprinting
It is essential to understand that you cannot fully stop browser fingerprinting since this technology does not rely on a single access point to collect data. However, you can make it more challenging for websites and trackers to identify you. Here are steps for each browser:
Safari
Apple introduced Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection in Safari alongside the release of iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma. This feature has significantly expanded since its initial release. Ensure you are using Safari 17 or higher to enable it.
Microsoft Edge
Edge offers fingerprinting protection even at the lowest privacy settings without requiring any action. However, you can enhance the level of protection by following these steps:
Firefox
Firefox consolidates all privacy features under Enhanced Tracking Protection, which includes fingerprinting and cookies. For regular users, just enabling the following features should suffice:
Brave
Although based on Chromium, Brave has implemented strong fingerprinting protection through its Shields feature. This is one of the most robust fingerprinting prevention settings available out of the box.
Options for Chrome Users
This is the biggest challenge. Since Google shut down the Privacy Sandbox component in April 2025, Chrome does not offer built-in fingerprinting protection. However, there are several third-party extensions you can use, with important notes to consider:
- Canvas Blocker: This extension adds random noise to the data generated by canvas elements to confuse fingerprinting APIs. It is relatively lightweight as it does not block canvas elements entirely but uses subtle changes to mislead trackers.
- Fingerprint Spoofer: A more comprehensive anti-fingerprinting extension that also blocks JavaScript and image-based fingerprinting, while spoofing user agent or navigator values. This extension completely replaces the canvas images generated by the browser, not just making minor adjustments.
- StealthHound: A premium anti-fingerprinting extension that prevents websites from checking hardware details, blocks canvas fingerprinting attempts, disables tracking scripts, and even provides risk signals to indicate how aggressively a site is trying to identify you. StealthHound operates entirely on the local device without sending information to cloud-based applications or platforms.
However, Chrome has limitations due to the new Manifest V3 extension framework that affects the usability of these third-party services. Chrome now actively prevents extensions from injecting code into web pages before they finish loading, often giving fingerprinting technologies enough time to collect data before spoofing mechanisms can take effect.
If you are serious about fingerprinting protection, Google Chrome may not be the best option. For Chromium-based browsers with comprehensive fingerprinting protection, consider Brave.
Conclusion
Browser fingerprinting is an evolving privacy threat that cannot be completely eliminated. However, by enabling protection features available in modern browsers like Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Brave, you can make it significantly harder for websites to track your browsing activity. For Chrome users, considering a switch to Brave or utilizing third-party extensions is a viable solution. By taking these steps, your online privacy will be much better safeguarded.
Source: https://telset.id/how-to/cara-efektif-mencegah-browser-fingerprinting-di-chrome-edge-dan-safari
