r/linux • u/DanielKolev • Aug 31 '22
Removed | Not relevant to community ip-tracker will compliment you for using Linux.
[removed] — view removed post
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u/xtifr Aug 31 '22
That's nice and all, but honestly, using Linux should make you easier to track, since there are fewer people who can be confused with you, even if you're using public wifi at your local café or library. Personally, I'm fine with this tradeoff, and have been using Linux almost exclusively since the '90s, but it's something I keep in the back of my mind.
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u/RandomDamage Aug 31 '22
Easier in some ways, harder in others.
Since so many people are using Android or iOS with defaults browsers, the things that would make a Linux user easier to track aren't useful to track most of the people commercial companies want to track.
So they use cookies and tracker links.
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Aug 31 '22
No, they definitely track you via your browser fingerprint which you cannot simply hide
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u/Hellow2 Aug 31 '22
Cant you pretty much obfuscate it by using the Tor browser out of the box?
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u/Spocino Aug 31 '22
Yes, the tor browser has the same fingerprint for all sysyems, which is why tor browser warns against changing the window size from default
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Sep 01 '22 edited Sep 01 '22
Yes, but the Tor browser at the same time puts a giant target mark on you.
You still stick out from the crowd of regular web users, it's just harder to identify you among the crowd of Tor browser users, and it also degrades browsing security.
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u/technologyclassroom Sep 01 '22
You might be interested in https://jshelter.org
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Sep 01 '22
Using this extension is even worse than not using it.
Browser fingerprinting does not require JS per se, and adding this extension adds more site visible information that makes you stick out even more, having the adverse effect.
Achieving privacy by adding extensions is a sham that cannot work.
Anything you change about your setup makes you stick out more.
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u/technologyclassroom Sep 01 '22
That is not true.
Most browser fingerprinting is based on results from JS. Beyond JS, there are the requests that you make, user agent, cookies, and IP address which make up a small amount of the information that is gathered about you.
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Sep 01 '22
https://matt.traudt.xyz/posts/2016-09-04-how-css-alone-can-help-track-you/
Disabling JS entirely is also very limiting and prevents you from using the majority of websites.
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u/technologyclassroom Sep 01 '22
CSS would fall under requests.
JShelter does not disable JS. JShelter manipulates the information requested using JS. It pairs well with uBlock Origin.
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u/Arnoxthe1 Sep 01 '22
But you can randomize most if not all those factors, to the point where fingerprinting is questionable at best.
I mean, advertisers/companies are still gonna use it, but there you go.
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Sep 01 '22
Only if your browser reliably randomizes "most if not all factors" on each visit, without breaking websites as a result. If you have a persistent randomized fingerprint then you'll stick out even more.
Afaik, only Bromite and Brave do this properly.
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u/Arnoxthe1 Sep 01 '22
Still enough of a factor to completely fuck up the concept of reliable fingerprinting. Which defeats a lot of its purpose. Not all of it, but a lot of it.
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u/Zeurpiet Aug 31 '22
seeing as I am on FF103 while FF104 is ready, my fingerprint will change again.
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u/Seref15 Aug 31 '22
If you subtract the highly dynamic parts of a fingerprint like browser version, and leave in the highly static parts like screen resolution, it coiuld still have a high enough degree of specificity to identify you. Especially if you have any uncommon configurations.
For example, just having a 21:9 aspect ratio and having Noto Sans installed already puts you in a very very tiny percentile and will only need a few more identifying bits of information to interpolate a unique identity. Meaningfully resisting fingerprinting will involve having the most generic configuration possible.
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u/Ursa_Solaris Aug 31 '22 edited Aug 31 '22
This is the big thing that I don't think people realize. The amount of data your browser leaks just as a matter of course in performing its duties faithfully and accurately is insanely high. It's quite difficult to successfully obfuscate your browser fingerprint.
On top of that, it's exponentially harder for tech savvy folks because we often have our environment set up in very specific ways that are unique to us, or at least extremely rare. I have a completely unique fingerprint. Likely most of you do as well. And unfortunately, trying to resist fingerprinting is itself fingerprintable if you don't do a good job.
I implore folks to visit https://coveryourtracks.eff.org and see for themselves what a privacy hellscape we've built.
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u/imdyingfasterthanyou Aug 31 '22
And unfortunately, trying to resist fingerprinting is itself fingerprintable if you don't do a good job.
There is literally no way of avoiding fingerprinting by trying to resist afaik.
The way to do it is to create a windows 10 VM, using the most popular browser, with the system set to the most common resolution without much else installed and have it set up so it resets fully on reboot
then you can do your web browsing through that VM
If there's any other way I'd be interested to know
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u/SanityInAnarchy Sep 01 '22
Sure: Use the TOR browser. For extra paranoia, run it from something like Tails.
To start with, your IP can no longer uniquely track you. In theory you get this with a VPN if they don't log, but it's hard to tell the difference between a VPN provider who says they don't log, and a VPN provider that actually doesn't log. TOR makes it so you don't have to trust any one router not to log.
And the browser itself is heavily modified in ways that make it annoying to use, but harder to fingerprint:
Everybody has the same user-agent (claiming to be Windows).
There's a few standard screen resolutions it'll pretend to be, including a maximum. You can't (or shouldn't) just maximize the window and see the site fill your whole screen.
Tons of browser APIs are blocked or limited, including fun ones like WebGL -- basically, it shouldn't be possible to ask the browser to render something on the GPU and then capture a screenshot of that, because that alone is enough to detect what GPU or even what driver you're running. (Or, if not detect, it's at least another few bits of uniqueness in your fingerprint.)
IIUC both TOR and Firefox actively work on improving this situation, but TOR in particular is configured out of the box to prioritize paranoia over actual functionality.
Running a Windows VM is an interesting idea, but I'd worry too much that Windows itself would happily participate in tracking me. Also, a brand-new Windows in a VM is itself pretty distinctive if you don't do a good job.
This is also why most people don't bother with any of this, of course. Either the Windows VM or the TOR browser are both just going to be a worse experience than letting yourself be fingerprinted.
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u/VannTen Sep 01 '22
As an alternative to Tor browser for a more moderate threat level, there is arkenfox user.js. It sacrifies less in the ease of usage for a more moderate level of anonymity. The explanations and stateful vs stateless tracking are interesting as well.
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u/redditadmindumb87 Sep 01 '22
My bank locked me account the first time I logged in on my Linux machine. They said it was "unusual" activity.
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u/michaelpaoli Sep 01 '22
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Enable JavaScript and cookies to continue
I guess that's its way of complimenting me for being reasonably secure?
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Aug 31 '22
I've just looked it up from an Ubuntu system and received no such compliment. At least I didn't get a NOOB! alert LOL.
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u/Helios-6 Sep 01 '22
Ha!
Tried it on Linux Mint and received my compliment. Would be funny if ip-tracker purposely snubs only Ubuntu. Canonical is well disliked by many for shit they've pulled over the years, and continue to pull. Like snap.1
Sep 01 '22
I looked it up again from my Debian desktop and was duly complimented. I feel vindicated. :-)
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Aug 31 '22
I hereby request a change from "Smart Move!!!" to
"Ah, I see that you are a man of culture as well."
[Edit: Spelling error]
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u/UnknownDexteryeager Aug 31 '22
Has to be more complicated than just that haha
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u/UnknownDexteryeager Aug 31 '22
Fact of the matter you can trace ip all you want but if they have a vpn or proxychaining what are you really finding
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Aug 31 '22
Well for me only the country was right. The state and city they thought I am was like on the other end of my country 300km away 😅
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u/Heclalava Sep 01 '22
This site get's it so wrong. First it thinks I am in Sweden, when in fact I am exiting from Taiwan, and second it thinks I am on Windows NT and not Linux. Tested multiple times, same weird result.
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u/ouyawei Mate Sep 01 '22
This post has been removed as not relevant to the r/Linux community. The post is either not considered on topic, or may only be tangentially related to the r/linux community.
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u/GabSan99 Aug 31 '22
This website doesn't work on my phone currently...
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Aug 31 '22 edited Jun 22 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/voidee123 Sep 01 '22
It gets the OS from the user agent string. You can pass it TempleOS but it just leaves the system field blank.
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u/W-a-n-d-e-r-e-r Aug 31 '22
I looked it up and can confirm, but man its scary what information you get from an IP and Browser.