Google is now authorizing a whole new method to track Internet users: FingerPrinting. A digital imprint that identifies users on the Internet in order to sell their data to advertisers.
More than ever, the confidentiality of our personal data is a major issue, while digital companies keep tracking us in order to sell these precious information to advertisers. This is particularly the case of Google, the main source of financing from which comes from advertising revenues. On this subject, the company announced, last December, an update of the regulation which governs its advertising platforms, and which applies Since February 16.
The Mountain View company does not say it explicitly, but it now allows the use of FingerPrinting, an online identification system by taking fingerprint which allows advertisers to access user data. And, unlike cookies, it is impossible to detect or block it. A change that strongly worries the defenders of privacy, because the fingerprinting poses serious confidentiality problems.
FingerPrinting: a tracking impossible to detect and block
As indicates the CNILthe fingerprinting (“imprint” in good French) is a “Probabilistic technique aimed at identifying a user in a unique way on a website or a mobile application using the technical characteristics of their browser”. To put it simply, the equipment used to connect to the server provides information (screen size, operating system, technical characteristics of the web browser, IP address, etc.). If these are numerous enough, they form a digital imprint which allows Google to distinguish individuals from each other and therefore to track a user when browsing the web, and then provide this data to advertisers and flood the User of targeted advertisements. And thus garnish money.
However, Google had opposed this tracking method in the past, believing in 2019 that the fingerprint “does not allow users to have control over their data“Since, unlike cookies, it is impossible to detect or block this tracing system. Besides, the company plans to block third -party cookies on Google Chrome, before turning back (see our article).
Also, the firm makes a 360 degree turn, explaining that new technologies allow you to limit risks today and that advertisers need new methods to optimize their advertisements on new platforms, especially on connected television screens.
FingerPrinting: Use by Google that worries
This change was poorly received by several authorities and NGOs. Stephen Almond, Executive Director of ICO Regulatory Risk (the equivalent of the British CNIL), strongly criticized FingerPrinting last December. “ICO believes that the digital imprint is not a fair way to track online users, as it is likely to reduce the choice and control of people on how their information is collected”he said.
For its part, the CNIL told BFMTV that “Fingerprinting is not prohibited in itself by regulations, but [que] Its use is supervised “. Thus, the persons concerned must be informed of the use of this technique and its purposes. It is only with user consent that the use of this technique is authorized. “The use of fingerprinting for advertising purposes requires the consent of users who must be able to refuse as simply as to accept”indicates the digital gendarme.
Finally, Lena Cohen, technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), says that “By explicitly authorizing a follow -up technique which she previously described as incompatible with user control, Google highlights its continuous priority of privacy profits“. We cannot prove him wrong on this point.