- Google has reversed its policy on 'fingerprinting'
- 'Fingerprinting' is a technique used to collect personal user data
- Users have very little say over what information is given to advertisers
Do you sometimes wish that online advertisers had access to more of your private information without your consent or knowledge? Well, you might just be in luck.
As of February 16 2025, Google is permitting ‘fingerprinting’, which is a stealthy technique which tracks things like your IP addresses, screen resolution, operating systems, and even battery percentage - until it has a creepily accurate profile of you.
This practice will be particularly disturbing to the privacy-conscious among us since it's virtually impossible for users to control what information is collected and when. You can turn off all cookies, use all the private browsers, and use the best VPN money can buy, but you could still be tracked with this technique.
Why the change of heart?
In its response, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office stated it considers fingerprinting to be, ‘not a fair means of tracking users online because it is likely to reduce people’s choice and control over how their information is collected’.
The move is is a pretty stark 180-degree turn in terms of policy, considering that in 2019, Google condemned the practice of fingerprinting, saying;
“Unlike cookies, users cannot clear their fingerprint, and therefore cannot control how their information is collected. We think this subverts user choice and is wrong.”
But the practice will, ‘ help businesses, large and small, meet the opportunities of the evolving digital landscape’, Google’s statement latest says, and it does claim to be ‘meeting user expectations for privacy’ - but you can decide for yourself if your expectations are being met with this policy.
“We look forward to further discussions with the ICO about this policy change" a Google spokesperson told TechRadar Pro.
"We know that data signals like IP addresses are already commonly used by others in the industry today, and Google has been using IP responsibly to fight fraud for years. Privacy enhancing technologies offer new ways for our partners to succeed on emerging platforms like CTV without compromising on user privacy. We continue to give users choice whether to receive personalized ads, and will work across the industry to encourage responsible data use.”
So what can you do about it? Unfortunately, not a lot. The ICO admits, ‘even privacy-conscious users will find this difficult to stop’ as the practice is harder for browsers to block, and it relies on signals you can’t easily wipe - so pressing ‘clear all site data’ won’t stop the advertiser from using the same fingerprinting techniques to just identify you all over again.
That being said, some browsers, such as Firefox and the Brave browser, have fingerprinting protection features that can scramble things like time zone, language, fonts, and language in reports to websites. There are also Google Chrome extensions like Canvas Blocker which can function in a similar way.
If you want more information, we've written a full guide on what fingerprinting is and how to protect yourself.
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