Fingerprinting: Difference between revisions
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==How it works== | ==How it works== | ||
<!-- Can someone knowledgable enough please check this? -->Fingerprinting works by getting a data item and turning it into a much shorter bit string that uniquely identifies itself. | <!-- Can someone knowledgable enough please check this? -->Fingerprinting works by getting a data item and turning it into a much shorter bit string that uniquely identifies itself. This includes the operating system, device model, screen resolution and more.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How does device fingerprinting work? |url=https://www.crossclassify.com/resources/articles/how-does-fingerprinting-work/ |access-date=31 August 2025 |website=crossclasiffy.com}}</ref> | ||
==Why it is a problem== | ==Why it is a problem== | ||
Revision as of 05:23, 31 August 2025
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In computer science, fingerprinting is a procedure that maps an arbitrarily large data item (such as a computer file) to a much shorter bit string, its fingerprint, that uniquely identifies the original data for all practical purposes just as human fingerprints uniquely entify people for practical purposes.[1]
How it works
Fingerprinting works by getting a data item and turning it into a much shorter bit string that uniquely identifies itself. This includes the operating system, device model, screen resolution and more.[2]
Why it is a problem
Fingerprinting can be used to identify individuals, flagging privacy concerns and letting companies do things like targeted advertising, selling personal data and more.
Examples
Some examples of fingerprinting include some types of cookies,
References
- ↑ "What is fingerprinting in Computer Science?". Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "How does device fingerprinting work?". crossclasiffy.com. Retrieved 31 August 2025.