

Device-fingerprinting services create fingerprints based on a combination a number of data points: On top of session cookies, device fingerprinting offers a vast amount of data, sent every time a web request is sent to a server. What Information Is Collected to Create a Device Fingerprint? on a user’s device), device fingerprints need to be stored server-side - i.e. Unlike web cookies that are stored client side (i.e. The Impact the GDPR Has on Device FingerprintingĬan Device Fingerprinting be Legal under GDPR?įinal Thoughts What Is Device Fingerprinting?ĭevice fingerprinting (aka canvas fingerprinting, browser fingerprinting, and machine fingerprinting) is a process used to identify a device (or browser) based on its specific and unique configuration.

Possible Use Cases of Device Fingerprinting So in a bid to keep behavioral targeting alive and ensure advertising companies can identify and track users across the web, a new form of web tracking was created - device fingerprinting. Over the years, however, the reliability of cookies has been declining - users often delete them, browsers are limiting their use, and let’s not forget the rise of ad blockers.īeing able to connect with potential customers at the right time and on the right device is essential for modern marketers. This method became the ad-targeting standard for online advertising companies from the mid-2000s onwards and relied heavily on web cookies. which websites they visited previously - and other data, such as their location. showing an ad for new boats in a magazine about boats), they could show their ads to Internet users based on their behavior - e.g. Instead of replying on contextual targeting (e.g. When advertising moved from the offline world to the online one, advertisers were presented with an opportunity they hadn’t had before - individual ad targeting.
