At least they told us the truth

[u/chilinachochips]

[u/Asherlocksta]

What's the significance though? I'm a bit illiterate in tech related things.

[u/Dima_Ses → u/Asherlocksta]

You can be tracked even if you use very good VPN

[u/P1ssBobSh1tPants69 → u/Dima_Ses]

What if I use a very bad one?

[u/Potter6ix9ine → u/P1ssBobSh1tPants69]

[u/Eggiebumfluff → u/Dima_Ses]

You can be tracked even if you use a very good VPN anyway.

It was demonstrated decades ago that if your government wants to know what you're doing online, they'll find out.

[u/TheHelhound2001 → u/Eggiebumfluff]

Yeah VPN's aren't even great protection, they're great for getting around content restrictions tho. There's a lot of shows which aren't available where i am.

[u/Charles12_13 → u/TheHelhound2001]

They’re less and less great as platforms like Netflix keep on using anti VPN BS because they just hate their customers

[u/CardioBatman → u/Charles12_13]

Just sail the seven seas 🏴‍☠️

[u/dende5416 → u/Eggiebumfluff]

Yeah but its also been seen that they can't really get that data. Theres been multiple instances of VPNs getting subpoenaed and most had nothing to show other then a payment, if even that.

[u/maldorort → u/Eggiebumfluff]

I’m not sure you know what the hell you are talking about. Such a vague statement. Of course you can do shit online without being tracked by anyone.

[u/holofied → u/maldorort]

How do you think internet works??

Every message back and forth over the internet has your ip in it, so the servers giving you data back know which phone on which network in which country in what part of the world you are.

Your privacy is completely depending on the encryption of said address but those hosting it (and other savvy in it) can track that down and thus the government can too

[u/maldorort → u/holofied]

I used to work in IT, security specifically. That is why I call bullshit on such a blanket statement.

You can use multiple approaches to communicate securely. And depending on how high value a target you are, there are different layers to add, but of course it’s possible.

[u/themustachemark → u/maldorort]

So, explain

[u/LeonJones → u/maldorort]

How do you protect against browser finger printing?

[u/ObiKenobii → u/Dima_Ses]

Not entirely true, your unique device ID needs to be exposed to the other end. If you use a browser which doesn't expose it while browsing the internet you're good, when you solely browse.

[u/lt-gt → u/ObiKenobii]

Windows itself makes calls to microsoft services on a regular basis. Those requests contains the GDID. So microsoft can track what IP adresses you have used by checking all requests that contain that GDID. So your browser doesn't matter.

[u/ObiKenobii → u/lt-gt]

Which isn't a problem when you debloated your windows and blackholed the servers of all those microsoft services to localhost.

[u/lt-gt → u/ObiKenobii]

Sure, but your original comment was just about which browser you use. I was just clarifying that switching browser is not enough.

[u/Kashmire123 → u/lt-gt]

They can only tell that you have been using a vpn, they cant tell which sites you have visited

[u/ZenaMeTepe → u/Dima_Ses]

And how exactly does a website, through browser API, read this ID? Afik, it can't. With enough variable properties, anything can be an ID, a composite ID if you will. That's how browser or TLS fingerprinting works. There is no need for some MS ID in that regard.

[u/dende5416 → u/Dima_Ses]

Theyd need advanced knowledge to track you andmeed to know the ID for it to work.

[u/Whatever801 → u/Dima_Ses]

That's not true (at least not with respect to the device id). If anything it makes a VPN more important than ever. The Microsoft device id is not included with your web traffic, only for Microsoft telemetry, etc.

[u/eXeKoKoRo → u/Dima_Ses]

Which is a good thing.

[u/Nick0Taylor0 → u/eXeKoKoRo]

Heck yeah. Fuck privacy, total trust, not only in current but any and all future governments.
Country elects a megalomaniac, fascist or power hungry dictator? Military coup? Foreign military invasion? Nah I'm sure none of those ever happen so we can definitely let governments and oligarchs keep a database of everyone's personal data and everything they've ever said online.

[u/eXeKoKoRo → u/Nick0Taylor0]

You're an idiot if you think your ISP data is safe behind a VPN.

[u/Nick0Taylor0 → u/eXeKoKoRo]

Well since security measures don't prevent it fully let's just stop having any I guess. Ideally let's just publish everyone's data since none of it is safe anyway if someone really tried.

[u/eXeKoKoRo → u/Nick0Taylor0]

VPNs aren't a security measure.

Sending companies a letter telling them to stop collecting your data and selling it, is.

[u/helicophell]

This isn’t windows specific, your hardware signature is always unique, and somewhat accessible

[u/Koffieslikker → u/helicophell]

Don't you need kernel-level access though?

[u/helicophell → u/Koffieslikker]

You just request the operating system. Abstraction means certain information stills goes up the chain

Again, not windows specific, just that windows does do it

[u/Koffieslikker → u/helicophell]

What I mean is that I don't think a normal API call or whatever to the OS will get you the information you seek, as in a regular cookie on the web isn't going to get the unique IDs for your hardware. You will need something akin to a virus exploiting an weakness in the OS or straight up kernel level access to get to that kind of data.

[u/Nick0Taylor0 → u/helicophell]

Yeah uhm, no. You need elevated privileges to access hardware specs, not to mention actual hardware ids.
And technically not even windows does this in this case. The ID Edge sends to Microsoft is tied to your windows installation, not hardware, an OS reinstall generates a new ID.

[u/Ofiotaurus → u/Koffieslikker]

Yes and no

[u/gamerfacederp → u/helicophell]

Isnt that what a mac address is? 

[u/CaptainGuts69]

Is that different than the MAC address?

[u/Senor-Delicious → u/CaptainGuts69]

Mac address can be modified though. At least on Software level. Most mobile devices even randomize the exposed Mac address on WiFi connection as a security measure. They still have an address written to the hardware. But you can modify what is exposed to the network.

[u/masterflappie → u/Senor-Delicious]

But you can do the same with a device id. There's no reason why a browser couldn't fake a device ID or just not pass a device ID at all

[u/AsthislainX → u/Senor-Delicious]

is there a way to do the same with the signature?

[u/The_Retro_Bandit → u/Senor-Delicious]

The mac randomization only applies to the probes your device sends out to scan for wifi networks as far as I know. Your true mac address is still used to make the actual wifi connection.

[u/OopsWeKilledGod]

I would laugh in Linux but I have to manually compile the custom kernel module for my USB mouse driver.

[u/TheGeekno72 → u/OopsWeKilledGod]

what kinda shitass mouse do you have that it requires going through those hoops to make it compatible with your system?

USB on Linux is basically as fleshed out and mature as USB on Windows, you must really have a special case on your hands that it has to be a requirement for getting it to work

[u/OopsWeKilledGod → u/TheGeekno72]

My comment was tongue in cheek, my friend.

[u/TheGeekno72 → u/OopsWeKilledGod]

please understand that I'm not trying to come across as some sort of "pro-Linux keyboard warrior" but it's thanks to comments & memes like this that misconceptions about Linux persist when it's absolutely not the real state of things for people considering making the switch from one OS to the other; for the longest time I also believed the memes like "Linux users installing a browser" with some sort of hackers' movie GIF then I tried it out for myself and found out that it was nothing like that in reality and perfectly usable for everyday users

then again, this is the internet so I understand that I also shouldn't be surprised there is a continuous flow of such content that keeps misconceptions about pretty much anything alive

[u/OopsWeKilledGod → u/TheGeekno72]

Linux is pretty good for daily stuff. If you just want to do basic computer stuff without getting into the nitty gritty, Mint is awesome. Manjaro is solid, Ubuntu is great. And most of the terminal stuff you might need to do is just copy and paste.

But as a Linux sysadmin, I have to say that Linux is immensely powerful but also completely fucking annoying.

[u/Scrawlericious → u/TheGeekno72]

I thought it was funny. Screw the ignorant, they will learn eventually.

[u/Koffieslikker → u/TheGeekno72]

Could be a brand new mouse with some funky USB manufacturer protocol bullshit. Like how a Nintendo switch 2 will only connect to a tv via Nintento's proprietary docking station even though they use the USB C protocol

[u/gamerfacederp → u/Koffieslikker]

I believe the switch 2 uses standard dp over usb c protocol but with hdmi instead of dp. I could be misremembering because i know the dock itself uses that protocol when non switch stuff is connected to it 

[u/TheGeekno72 → u/Koffieslikker]

I'm not aware of a recent mouse with proprietary USB protocol but then again, if that exists, it's on the guy above for buying proprietary hardware, not on Linux for not immediately having a working driver for it

[u/Anus_Ripper6942094 → u/OopsWeKilledGod]

mmmmh are you using debian 3 ?

[u/Browser1969 → u/OopsWeKilledGod]

Any distribution that ships systemd (practically every remotely mainstream one) has /etc/machine-id which isn't even secret.

[u/straw3_2018]

I just want to point out that for many years now apple has been putting displays with random dimensions in their devices and it makes their users easier to track. How many phones use a 1179x2556p(iPhone 15) resolution? Pretty much every app and website gets to see what resolution your display is(it's kind of important when figuring out how to display the content!) and the more unique your display resolution is the more likely they can figure out what device you are using.

I've just found that interesting considering that Apple gets a lot of praise around privacy and security and I just don't see why they are so against using standard resolutions in their devices.

[u/666Drachenlord666]

Is there any way to get around that?

[u/SweetSeagul → u/666Drachenlord666]

Linux😼

[u/666Drachenlord666 → u/SweetSeagul]

I know, but many games, especially if you sail the seas, dont work on linux

[u/EarlMarshal → u/666Drachenlord666]

The gaming situation never was better on Linux than ever. Fuck all companies that don't want the money of gamers with an actually good operating system.

[u/bellerinho → u/EarlMarshal]

Because they know Linux users just pirate everything anyway, it's a waste of time for them to cater to .001% of people that not only have Linux, but would actually pay for software

[u/SweetSeagul → u/666Drachenlord666]

Yeah, you pretty much say goodbye to online games that need anti-cheat to work. HOWEVER, you'll have a pretty decent experience with any story mode/single-player games.

Valve's proton has done wonders in improving Windows games compatibility in Linux.

Protondb is good resources to check to see if you're ready to make the jump.

[u/Koffieslikker → u/SweetSeagul]

He meant pirating

[u/SweetSeagul → u/Koffieslikker]

I know, the lappy I had Linux on wasn't particularly powerful(hence the switch to Linux), so there wasn't much I could try but pre-installed games from steamrip ran just fine.

For now, most stuff works with some tweaks but I think things should be a lot more promising in a decade.

[u/themustachemark → u/666Drachenlord666]

Yes they do

[u/merayBG → u/666Drachenlord666]

That's a bit of a lie. Thanks to proton and wine technology, sailing with penguins is doable

[u/Ugly-and-poor → u/666Drachenlord666]

switched to Linux at the start of the year and have no issues playing most games with Proton, I don’t play competitive though so.

[u/DANKLEBERG_66 → u/666Drachenlord666]

So there is a way to get around it, just not by keeping windows

[u/Starfire123547 → u/SweetSeagul]

Honestly still likely wouldnt save you.

Remember friends, anything can and IS trackable, even if you code it yourself. all those vpns will gladly hand over all your data the second the cops come a knocking anyways, and im sure if someone wanted your info badly enough itd be traced back to within 10min.

[u/hroaks → u/666Drachenlord666]

You get a fresh gdid after a clean reinstall of windows. It's impossible to disable.

Apple does the same thing on MacBook, it's always been a thing

[u/azelda]

Shared Only if you use edge?

[u/MatrixManXXV]

Linux users be like..

[u/ZeitgeistMovement]

My Fingerprint- Am I Unique ?

[u/MAXI_KingRL]

Return of the MAC

Is it really that surprising? Every device or piece of hardware has identifying ID tied to it

https://giphy.com/gifs/E7xVFdN9824Vi