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Digital privacy in danger, fingerprint data of users stolen by companies

Washington [New York Times] If the matter is of digital privacy then one thing is certain that it can never be completely satisfied. On the one hand, big tech companies are engaged in data security, on the other hand, hundreds of companies are trying to break into it.

Between the two sides, you play the game of ‘put-put, I am pathetic’. The name of a new attempt to crack data is ‘fingerprinting’. Through data, companies can know how people use the app.

Use fingerprinting to identify user activities.

Some companies identify user activities by creating user fingerprints of phone and computer systems. Like a fingerprint of a person, it can be easily identified with fingerprints. Just like this, a digital fingerprint is also capable of identifying any user.

With this help, some apps and websites track user activity and give advertisements accordingly. This digital fingerprint can also be sold to other companies. At the moment it is not very dangerous, but there is of course concern.

Stronger on Privacy: Large companies have taken stringent measures towards the privacy of users in the last few years, such as major tech companies like Apple and Mozilla. The facility to stop tracking in their web browser has been given. Due to these steps advertising companies are finding it difficult to keep track of our activities related to the web. This strictly has inspired these companies to adopt another way. The name of this second path is ‘Fingerprinting’.

Compulsion is giving some data

Whenever you open a website, it takes some information about your computer or phone. It contains information related to your operating system information and other configurations.

The website needs this data to run smoothly. Similarly, for the first time running an app on the phone, he needs some information. These include your version of Android and other hardware related information.

How does fingerprinting work?

Fingerprinting looks for its place in this compulsion. It collects the same data that is necessary to work properly on an app or website. In this, data related to screening resolution, operating system, and model of your system is taken.

With the help of this data, companies keep an eye on how you use web and apps. For a long time if such data is collected from a user’s phone, then it tells a lot about user habits and activities.

By mobilizing these data, companies make a complete profile of the user, making the user’s identity ready. Researchers at the University of Washington have found this profile effective for 99 percent of the user’s identity in their studies.