“Cookie” is an Internet term that almost everyone has heard of. It allows website operators to track and collect your usage data from the browser for further analysis and precise marketing. If regular cookies are the crumbs left on your cloth couch after eating bread, the supercookie we’re going to talk about today is the chocolate chips that stick with you no matter how many times you clean them, making them harder to remove and more invasive.
What are Supercookies? Why should you know about it?
What are Supercookies?
Supercookies are advanced tracking tools that operate beyond your browser. Unlike standard cookies that sit quietly in your browser’s storage, supercookies can embed themselves into the metadata of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) network or device. This will allow them to track your browsing activity even if you clear your cookies or use incognito mode.
Companies like Verizon already use them to add unique tracking identifiers to web traffic, allowing advertisers to track users across the web.
How does Supercookie work?
The power of Supercookie is its persistence. These trackers assign a unique identifier to your online activity, which ISPs can insert at the network level or embed in HTTP headers. Because they are not stored by the browser, clearing the cookie or switching browsers will not delete them.
For example, the Verizon Unique Identifier Header (UIHD) injects tracking code directly into network traffic. This allows advertisers to monitor users without relying on traditional browser cookies, making supercookies harder to block.
Why is Supercookie controversial?
There are several main reasons why Supercookies are considered a privacy nightmare:
- Supercookies are incredibly intrusive, capable of tracking you across systems, conversations and websites, building detailed profiles of your online activities.
- Supercookies are difficult to detect or delete, and most users don’t even know they exist, let alone how to get rid of them.
- Supercookies have highlighted legal and ethical issues, with their deployment without user consent triggering a backlash from regulators, with some companies even being fined for their use.
For example, Verizon faced a $1.35 million fine from the FCC in 2016 for using Supercookies without notifying users or providing a way to opt out, a controversy that brought to the fore the secretive and intrusive nature of trackers.
Can you protect yourself from Supercookies?
Unfortunately, supercookies are harder to block than regular cookies, but there are steps you can take to limit its reach:
- Use a VPN. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making it harder for ISPs to inject tracking code into your data.
- Switch to a privacy-focused browser. Browsers like Firefox and Brave include built-in tools for blocking trackers and improving privacy.
- Enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH). This feature encrypts your DNS requests, making it more difficult for ISPs to monitor your network traffic.
- Using a privacy-focused browser extension like Privacy Badger can help block tracking attempts.
While these measures can reduce your risk of being tracked, it’s worth noting that Supercookies are designed to go beyond the scope of most traditional privacy tools.
Supercookies and the future of privacy
Supercookies demonstrate the power of companies to track user behavior. As traditional cookies face greater regulation and scrutiny, tracking technologies are advancing to circumvent various privacy tools. For example, browser fingerprinting and device telemetry tracking are becoming increasingly common as alternatives to enterprise cookies. Privacy-focused legislation, such as Europe’s GDPR, has begun to restrict these practices, but enforcement and oversight vary globally.
Fortunately, privacy advocates and developers are fighting back with new features like encrypted DNS and enhanced anti-tracking measures, but the arms race between trackers and anti-trackers isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Supercookies are not just an evolution of regular cookies, they are a sophisticated way of monitoring users’ online activities. These trackers operate on a deeper level, making them difficult to detect or delete. While there’s no perfect solution, using tools like VPNs, secure browsers, and privacy extensions can help you regain some control over your digital footprint. In the ongoing battle for online privacy, staying informed is your best defense. Finally, having adequate awareness of the risks is the most powerful defense, so you can be proactive, understand how these trackers work and emerging privacy tools, and take proactive measures to protect your online activities.
Further reading:
Every website requires you to accept cookies. What are cookies? What happens if you agree?
Source: KOCPC Chinese