🕵️ Website detective: Use this IP address tool to look up any URL. I do it all the time. Click the IP address to see where it’s located. Look for suspicious signs, like an American business with an IP address from somewhere overseas that just doesn’t make sense.
Your browser is snitching on you
ChatGPT
You’ve heard me say it a hundred times: Clear your cookies, block third-party trackers, use private browsing. But here’s something new, something creepier.
Now, even after nuking cookies from orbit and going full incognito ninja, websites still know who you are. How? Something called browser fingerprinting.
And unlike actual crime-fighting fingerprints, this one just helps companies charge you more for socks.
🚰 How it works
Every time you visit a website, your browser leaks little clues about who you are: your screen size, time zone, where you live, your device and operating system, even how fast your processor runs.
None of these sounds personal, but when combined? They create a unique invisible fingerprint that websites use to identify you.
A new study from Texas A&M and Johns Hopkins shows this is no longer a fringe trick, it’s mainstream.
👣 Tracks in real time
Websites now know who you are even if you’re not logged in, cleared your cookies and browse in incognito mode. Researchers watched sites change in real time depending on the fingerprint they detected.
Here’s the kicker: Your “harmless” device fingerprint is used to change the prices you see. Researchers watched websites adjust pricing in real time based on things I’ve mentioned.
In other words, you could see higher prices simply because you live in an expensive area or use a newer iPhone. Creepy? Totally. Legal? For now, yes.
✋ So what can you do?
Your IP address: What it is and why you need to protect yours if you care about privacy
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Using the internet is a complicated affair. It may not feel like that to you as a user. You click on your browser and get on with your day — it’s as easy as pie.
Behind the scenes, though, is a whole different story. It’s full of numbers like your Internet Protocol (IP) address, basically your digital home address. This numeric label distinguishes your phone or computer from other devices worldwide.
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Website detective: Head to WhatIsMyIP.com to double-check any URLs. When the IP address pops up, click to see where it’s really from. If an American business has an IP from somewhere overseas, that’s a red flag.
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Does it ever feel like your internet is running slower than usual? Of course, it does. It’s happened to all of us at some point.
Web pages seem sluggish, while downloads and uploads seem to take forever. It’s very frustrating — especially when you’re paying for high-speed internet. Many potential issues are causing the slowdown, including problems with your device, browser or even a website you’re trying to visit.
5 critical reasons you need VPN protection
© Wrightstudio | Dreamstime.com
Do you consider yourself a privacy-conscious person? Are you concerned about your online safety? Well, you’re certainly not alone. The hard truth is by surfing the web or making any transactions online while connected to a network that’s not secure, you’re exposing private info and buying habits for anyone to see.
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Apple is in an ‘Epic’ court battle that could change the way we pay for apps. You’ve heard of Bitcoin, but what about some of the other cryptocurrencies that make up this $2 trillion industry? Then Ben, Mike and Allie talk streaming devices. Spoiler: Roku reigns supreme. And find out if Allie can fool the guys this week in Brand New or Not True.