Several of Internet's top websites use device fingerprinting technology to track users without their knowledge, a new study has revealed.
According to the study by KU Leuven-iMinds researchers, 145 of the Internet's 10,000 top websites use hidden scripts to extract a device fingerprint from user's browsers.
The device fingerprinting or browser fingerprinting circumvents legal restrictions imposed on the use of cookies and ignores the Do Not Track HTTP header.
The method of tracking digital fingerprints is the practice of collecting properties of PCs, smartphones and tablets to identify and track users, and includes screen size, version of installed software and plugins along with installed fonts.
The study revealed that device fingerprinting targets Flash, the ubiquitous browser plugin for playing animations, videos and sound files, of JavaScript, a common programming language for web applications.
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