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GOOGLE IS NOW FINGERPRINTING
My computer is getting Fingerprinted by Youtube and I can not figure out how to stop them!
Let me explain "Computer" over just "Browser"...
I've been on Firefox for forever. Ive NEVER created any form of Google related acct. I do not allow any form of tracking to the best of my abilities. I dont sign in, I dont allow cookies, blocked Flash cookies, blocked HTML5 cookies, DOM cookies, rotate browser headers and send random Etags with Secret Agent or others (tried a few), block connections with a Firewall and run a personal DNS Server for Ad and Tracker Blocking.
In short, I dont log in to ANYTHING Google related and go to what some would consider ridiculus lengths to block tracking of any form.
Now for the cunundrum of Privacy vs Functionality.
I do like watching some videos on Youtube. But to do so, Javascript needs to be enabled. Flash kinda sorta does too as their HTML5 Player is horrid and causes mostly stutter. Lots of that has to do with my crappy low bandwidth internet tho and Im flat broke and unemployed so all I have is what I got.
When I go to Youtube on ANY browser, despite every form of tracking being blocked but allowing the dead minimum for functionality, they still show "Recommended Channels for you" crap, and its the same channels each and every time. This leads me to believe they have gone hard core after Fingerprinting.
Ive only had one successful test where I was not being Fingerprint Tracked and that was with the Tor Browser. Problem is Tor doesnt have Flash due to the number of problems that Flash creates with Privacy. Anything else I've tried in Firefox, including a full uninstall and reinstall so far has failed to prevent the same "Recommended Channels" from popping up, which tells me, despite not knowing my name, they are uniquely tracking me, and its pissing me off.
Im connecting through a VPN (Private Internet Access), disconnect, reconnect, etc. Its not my IP they are getting, its something else. There are a couple of videos that I did bookmark and due to Image Manipulations, figure that it may be possible to make a Favicon work like a Cookie. I know it isnt Cache, as that is completely cleared, and still maintained across a full reinstall of Firefox, Opera, IE (ugh, but had to test it), and even the Epic Browser! The Firefox Plugins I dont see as a valid solution, but I've made efforts that all failed. I used to try to block Trackers and Ads (usually one in the same) with a Hosts file, but due to the way DNS names are now being used to serve ads as well, had to upgrade to running my own DNS server on my computer to be able to use wildcard DNS blocking methods. Some ads come only from IP's. Used a Firewall to block all access from any program on my box to those IP's and ranges. I've uninstalled Flash, (still have Flash Developer, but not the player), dumped Google Earth, and tried just about everything I can think of to block their Fingerprinting, but to no avail, excluding Tor, and including Epic Proxy.
I know my way around computers and networking.
Suspicions have been limited down to this:
- Bookmarks with Favicon
- HTML5 Canvas Object for Fingerprinting
- Some form of DNS Testing
- Unknown Method of Fingerprinting
I dont think I need to go into the deep end of why I want my Privacy, so I'll make it short. Its not about "Right or Wrong", it is all about a difference of opinion being the source of almost all conflicts or abuse. Im not a bad person. I believe in balance and peace. However, some of the videos that I watch could be used to build a profile that could make me (or anyone for that matter) out to be some sort of violent radical, which Im not. I think we are very close to the point of Privacy once again becoming a Life or Death situation for many ordinary people. Think it wont come to Life or Death? There is nothing wrong with being born of Jewish descent. Try asking a Jew that got killed in the hollocaust what they think about Privacy. Oh wait, you CANT because they are dead for something that someone else thought was wrong. I do not think what I am told to think (Privacy is Dead or Privacy is just for Criminals), hence why my user name here is Heretic. I dont want to be the next Jew that gets killed for their beliefs.
If Youtube had a competitor that I could observe the same material from, I'd go there (hoping they are respectful to privacy) but unfortunately, too many sources use just Youtube
Any advice to block their Fingerprinting in any way shape or form would be greatly appreciated as the rest of my efforts have been unsuccessful.
(sorry for the wall of text)
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Google is fingerprinting me on YouTube too. I use Epic only on Youtube and some light browsing almost always after closing/reopening the browser. I never signed in to Google in Epic. I change my IP and digital fingerprint in Firefox frequently.
How do I know I'm fingerprinted? The videos uploaded by me (from chrome) are available to me only at 360p resolution. All other devices not fingerprinted to me by Google can play full 1080p. I can play all other videos in Epic at full res.
This is highly frustrating!
Any ideas? Solutions?
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