Starting from February 16, Google will allow advertisers to use fingerprinting to collect user data across the web.
Previously, Google had prohibited this practice, but as third-party cookies continue to wane, the search engine appears to be offering it as an alternative.
What is fingerprinting?
Fingerprinting is a method that collects more information about a user’s device than the user themselves.
It could include: screen size, type of device, operating system, browser version, language settings, IP address and time zone – all of which doesn’t sound like the most useful customer data in the world, unless you’re selling laptops.
However, when combined, this information can provide a unique profile of a device, which can then be tracked across multiple sessions and sites and can be linked to your activities online.
