AliExpress Found Using Silent Audio Streams for Device Fingerprinting
A developer debugging Bluetooth issues discovered that AliExpress uses the Web Audio API to fingerprint devices, prompting countermeasures from privacy-focused browsers.
AfroEuropa Newsroom
AfroEuropa desk
AliExpress has been found using silent audio streams to fingerprint the devices of people visiting its websites, according to reporting by InfoQ. The discovery came to light while a developer was debugging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) multipoint disconnects.
The method relies on the Web Audio API. By generating a silent audio stream and examining how a device processes it, the technique can distinguish one device from another based on hardware-specific characteristics in the audio output. This allows a website to identify and track users without relying on conventional identifiers such as cookies.
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