Google has informed companies that use its advertising products that it will soon allow them to use fingerprinting techniques. This will allow them to track users across multiple devices including Smart TVs and game consoles.
The announcement has raised privacy concerns, and the move has been called “irresponsible” by Stephen Almond, the executive director of regulatory risk at the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). It is also a reversal of Google’s previous position on fingerprinting, which it said in 2019 that the practice “subverts user choice and is wrong.”
The new policy will come into effect on February 16, 2025.
What is fingerprinting?
The ICO doesn’t view fingerprinting as “a fair means of tracking users online because it is likely to reduce people’s choice and control over how their information is collected.” The technique involves collecting information about a devices software and hardware. When combined, it can identify a particular device and user.
The ICO says that the practice “is not transparent and cannot easily be controlled.” Almond says that “fingerprinting does not meet users’ expectations for privacy,” as it is difficult to stop even by privacy-conscious users as they cannot easily consent to it as they would cookies.
Unlike with third-party cookies, the signals collected through fingerprinting cannot be easily detected or blocked by users and it is harder for browsers to block. Nor can it be easily wiped from a device. And even if a user does clear their browsing data, the organization employing fingerprinting could immediately identify the user once again.
Google claims that the change is necessary due to advancements in privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) reports TechGig. The company hopes that as a result of the changes it “will create a safer and more secure environment for advertisers while maintaining privacy standards.”
Additionally, as people use more platforms the need for more advanced tracking methods increases says Google. Fingerprinting will allow advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns.
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