Explained: What is Google’s fingerprinting tracking policy and why you should be ‘worried’

Google

Google’s latest fingerprinting-based tracking policy has ignited controversy, with privacy advocates criticising the company for making it impossible to opt out of this form of device tracking. The new system, which quietly rolled out as part of Google’s broader push to refine user data collection, has raised serious concerns about transparency and control over personal information.

Fingerprinting is a sophisticated tracking method that collects unique characteristics from a user’s device—such as screen resolution, installed fonts, operating system, IP address, and browser settings — to create a digital “fingerprint.” Unlike traditional tracking methods like cookies, which users can delete or block, fingerprinting is much harder to evade since it relies on passive data collection.

Google argues that fingerprinting enhances security, helping to detect fraudulent activity, prevent unauthorized logins, and improve ad targeting. The company claims this method is part of its effort to transition away from third-party cookies, which are being phased out in Chrome as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative.

However, critics say the move does little to protect user privacy. Instead, fingerprinting allows Google to track users across multiple devices and browsers without giving them an option to opt out—effectively making it an even more intrusive tracking mechanism.

“We think this change is irresponsible. Google itself has previously said that fingerprinting does not meet users’ expectations for privacy, as users cannot easily consent to it as they would cookies,” said Stephen Almond, executive director of regulatory risk at the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office. In a blog post, Almond said that this in turn means they cannot control how their information is collected. “To quote Google’s own position on fingerprinting from 2019: “We think this subverts user choice and is wrong”,” said Almond.

The backlash primarily stems from the lack of user control over this tracking method. Unlike cookies, which can be manually deleted or blocked, fingerprinting is invisible and unavoidable. Privacy experts argue that Google’s new policy contradicts its earlier claims of promoting greater user choice and transparency.

Google is not giving any opt-out option – users cannot disable fingerprinting, making it a mandatory form of tracking. Furthermore, the new privacy policy enables Google to track users across phones, tablets, and computers, building an even more detailed user profile. While Google insists the data is for security and advertising, critics fear it could be exploited for mass surveillance or third-party data sharing.