Google has introduced changes to its online tracking policies, allowing fingerprinting, a technique that collects data such as IP addresses and device information to help advertisers identify users. The new rules mark a shift in Google’s approach to online tracking.
Google states that these data signals are already widely used across the industry and that its goal is to balance privacy with the needs of businesses and advertisers. The company previously restricted fingerprinting for ad targeting but now argues that evolving internet usage—such as browsing from smart TVs and gaming consoles—has made conventional tracking methods, like cookies, less effective. The company also emphasises that users continue to have choices regarding personalised ads and that it encourages responsible data use across the industry.
Critics argue that fingerprinting is harder for users to control compared to cookies, as it does not rely on locally stored files but rather collects real-time data about a user’s device and network. Some privacy advocates believe this change marks a shift toward tracking methods that provide users with fewer options to opt out.
Martin Thomson, an engineer at Mozilla, noted that by allowing fingerprinting, Google has given itself—and the advertising industry it dominates—permission to use a form of tracking that people can’t do much to stop. Lena Cohen, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressed similar concerns, stating that fingerprinting could make user data more accessible to advertisers, data brokers, and law enforcement.
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has raised concerns over fingerprinting, stating that it could reduce users’ ability to control how their information is collected. In a December blog post, Stephen Almond, the ICO’s Executive Director of Regulatory Risk, wrote that this change irresponsible, and that advertisers and businesses using this technology will need to demonstrate compliance with privacy and data laws.
Google responded that it welcomes further discussions with regulators and highlighted that IP addresses have long been used across the industry for fraud prevention and security.
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