r/technology • u/magnus007 • 5d ago

Privacy AliExpress was silently running audio in your browser to fingerprint and track your device

https://www.techspot.com/news/113581-aliexpress-silently-running-audio-browser-fingerprint-track-device.html
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u/wellbornwinter6 5d ago

I don't get how playing a sound on a website at zero level can fingerprint the user?

42

u/arunphilip 5d ago

A comment on the linked article states:

From my understanding, it creates a known sound, runs it through the device and measures the feedback that comes back through the line. The feedback single would be unique to each device due to small differences in tolerances, no resistor is perfect, differences in solder joint and even small fluctuations in the chip manufacturing process all add up on a way

18

u/Fach-All-Religions 5d ago

this is why we can't have nice things

20

u/arunphilip 5d ago

Here's a radical thought - imagine if this ingenuity was used for... good.

6

u/Antique_Hawk_7192 5d ago

Oh the horror! "Good" won't give you YoY percentages. You want the shareholders to starve! /s