Privacy consultant Alexander Hanff has published a detailed critique arguing that Google Chrome offers virtually no built-in defenses against browser fingerprinting, despite it being one of the most widespread online tracking methods. At least 30 distinct fingerprinting techniques work in Chrome today, covering Canvas, WebGL, WebGPU, AudioContext, fonts, WebRTC IP leakage, and more. By contrast, Brave uses 'farbling' and Firefox has privacy.resistFingerprinting. Google's Privacy Sandbox, which was meant to address fingerprinting among other privacy issues, was abandoned in April 2025 without shipping a single fingerprinting-specific mitigation. Google also reversed its stance on fingerprinting in late 2024, shifting from calling it 'wrong' to acceptable if disclosed. The post also highlights real-world consequences, including Citizen Lab's report on ad-based surveillance data sold to governments that leverages device fingerprinting.
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