[tor-talk] panopticlick data

Joe Btfsplk joebtfsplk at gmx.com
Mon Sep 30 23:14:25 UTC 2013


Info given on panopticlick.eff.org is a bit confusing in that some of it 
seems incorrect.  If that makes a browser "more common," I guess it's a 
good thing.
But some of the info it shows as incorrect is very "uncommon."  That 
doesn't mean someone trying to finger print a browser would get the same 
info that Panopticlick shows - or does it?

It showed an incorrect screen size and "color depth."  Claiming in 1 in 
430370 browsers (systems?) have that specific characteristic - fairly 
uncommon.  Except monitor info is incorrect.
All that resulted in a claim that "only *one in 1,721,479 browsers have 
the same fingerprint*."
https://panopticlick.eff.org

I don't know where / how it gets the screen size, but mine definitely 
isn't 947 wide.  It's actually a very common size.

I assume the color depth is bit value.  Panopticlick shows 24 (bit?), 
but there's not even a CHOICE of 24 bit in my display settings, for my 
monitor / graphics card combination.  Maybe I misunderstand how 
Panopticlick arrives at that value.

It surprised me that it estimated 1 in 76 browsers had the USERAGENT 
data given by TBB, of Windows 7 w/ Fx 17.  Other than possibly mostly 
TBB users going to Panopticlick (skewing the data) to check browser 
uniqueness, I doubt 1 in every 76 users in the U.S. or world wide, truly 
have Fx 17 in Windows 7.  Maybe I'm wrong.

I just wondered if others have checked their regular Firefox & TBB 
uniqueness on eff's site, to see if the data shown seems accurate for 
their system?


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