> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://adjacent.media/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Browser fingerprinting reveals what websites know about you
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/browser-fingerprinting-reveals-what-websites-know-about-you/
- Published: 2026-05-12T16:10:18.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-12T16:10:18.000Z
- Description: Browser fingerprinting—the practice of collecting device data like fonts, screen resolution, and plugins to create unique identifiers—works without cookies or explicit tracking, making it invisible to most users and largely unregulated.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-consumer, privacy, browser tracking, data collection

Source: [Kottke](https://kottke.org/26/05/0048922-taken?ref=adjacent.media)

Browser fingerprinting—the practice of collecting device data like fonts, screen resolution, and plugins to create unique identifiers—works without cookies or explicit tracking, making it invisible to most users and largely unregulated. As websites increasingly rely on this technique to bypass privacy regulations and ad blockers, consumers face a data collection problem they can't see or easily control. The "Taken" site demonstrates the technical feasibility of this tracking, putting pressure on browser makers and regulators to either build stronger defaults or watch fingerprinting become the primary surveillance method on the web.