Google Chrome users are facing a mixed bag of privacy changes. While the browser is finally eliminating third-party tracking cookies, a more invasive tracking method — digital fingerprinting — has quietly gone live. This means that even as Google claims to be enhancing user privacy, advertisers now have an even more powerful way to track individuals across their devices with little chance of opting out.
As Forbes reports, Google confirmed that Chrome will introduce a one-time global prompt, allowing users to permanently opt out of tracking cookies. However, the timing of this rollout remains uncertain, and industry insiders speculate that regulatory scrutiny could delay its implementation. There are also concerns that Google’s account-based tracking could give it an unfair advantage over competitors once cookies are phased out.
Even as Google moves to eliminate tracking cookies, it has reintroduced digital fingerprinting — a controversial tracking method the company itself declared ‘wrong’ in 2019. As of February 16, Google has expanded fingerprinting beyond web browsing to smart TVs, gaming consoles, and other connected devices.
What is Chrome Digital Fingerprinting?
As per a Google post from 2019, “With fingerprinting, developers have found ways to use tiny bits of information that vary between users, such as what device they have or what fonts they have installed to generate unique identifier which can then be used to match a user across websites. Unlike cookies, users cannot clear their fingerprint, and therefore cannot control how their information is collected.”
You may ask what changed between 2019 and 2025. Well, the answer may be data monetisation and advertising. Google’s ad revenue for the last quarter of 2024 was $72.5 billion, up 10.5%. This goes on to show why companies like Google are ditching their own values and going all in for user data.
As is now evident, this technique involves identifying users based on various system characteristics, including their operating system, browser type, IP address, installed plugins, language settings, and more. Unlike cookies, which users can delete, fingerprinting creates a persistent identifier that is much harder to erase, researchers note.
With this data, businesses can better understand their target audience and market preferences. In the end, everyone profits except the consumers.
“For businesses, this means they can better understand their target market’s preferences, pain points, and behaviours. They can create highly targeted ads, reduce investment risks, and optimise production. Adaptive consumer profiles also let companies pinpoint market gaps, capitalise on consumer demands, and identify new revenue streams,” researchers wrote.
Although Google isn’t typically classified as a ‘data broker’ in the strictest sense, it collects data points from millions of users worldwide and uses this information to sell advertising space. Some experts argue that this does qualify Google as a data broker.
Why you should be worried?
For years, Google has been working to find a compromise between user privacy and the needs of an ad-supported internet. However, this move by Google isn’t halfway at all. It is more of a my way or high way attitude by the company. Even if users clear all site data, organisations tracking individuals can easily identify them again.
Furthermore, even some privacy-focused browsers may find it hard to block fingerprinting. Given the masses’ lack of technical know-how and even general cybersecurity knowledge, this new policy could be detrimental to their overall digital privacy.
However, all is not lost. While Google has approved, regulatory bodies are not offering advertisers free rein. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned businesses that fingerprinting must still comply with legal standards for transparency and user consent. Failure to do so could result in enforcement action.
For consumers, the dual presence of third-party cookies and fingerprinting creates a challenging period where personal data may be even more exposed than before. Privacy advocates argue that instead of reducing tracking, Google’s approach may ultimately make online surveillance more challenging to avoid.
Experts urge users to use privacy-focused browsers, install anti-fingerprinting extensions to limit data exposure, use a VPN to mask IP addresses, and keep their browsers updated. They also recommend that users should disable JavaScript to reduce the amount of data websites can collect, though this may break website functionality.
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