introduction to cookie tracking, fingerprinting, syncing, etc

[haplorrhine]

I just read about cookie syncing, and now I want to learn more about cookies. Where can I find a comprehensive introduction for someone who has no computer science background but likes math? cookie syncing article https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/englehardt/the-hidden-perils-of-cookie-syncing/ I printed the research paper. I would like tracking in general if the topic goes beyond cookies.

[squirrel3]

There's always the classic http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/defining-and-dealing-with-web-cookies.html . I use the dummies site a lot. No joke.

[coldraven]

Install this Firefox addon, browse the internet for an hour and then click on the Lightbeam icon. Your jaw will drop when you see how those trackers collude with each other.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/lightbeam/

[haplorrhine]

Thank you, but the freedom-to-tinker article linked to a research paper with good citations: "The Web Never Forgets: Persistent Tracking Mechanisms in the Wild". I hi-lighted 16, 21, 23, 31, 32, 33, and 50. Most are about fingerprinting. I couldn't find all of them. I will link to them when I am done and outline what they discuss.

[Jay Car]

Where can I find a comprehensive introduction for someone who has no computer science background but likes math?

It seems to me that a mere introduction could not truly be comprehensive ... but maybe it's worth the search. :KS

[bapoumba]

You can have a look at the eff site :
https://www.eff.org/privacybadger
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/09/online-trackers-and-social-networks
https://panopticlick.eff.org/

[haplorrhine]

The panopticlick link was great in that it described the unique fingerprint of my system.

This is a slight diversion. Given that the same fingerprinting technology used to fingerprint the device you're logging in from can be used by trackers, I've fathomed that somebody else using your device or imitating your device might have their cookies synced with yours. Perhaps some of the top tracking domains (http://www.alexa.com/topsites) could make this information potentially viewable to anyone with the correct fingerprint.

I'm linking this here since I didn't print it. http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~hovav/dist/canvas.pdf

[bapoumba]

Well, as far as I understand it and I can be wrong, this is tracking for behavior ads, ie study this person behind the browser surfing habits and deliver specific ads or info. These can be sold, one of the economic model behind the great big internetz. Now using cookie tracking or browser fingerprinting to steal identity or for the men in black come knocking at your door is another story, best practice being to use the tin foil protection.