Title: Detecting browser fingerprint evolution for identifying unique users

Authors: Óscar Muñoz-García; Javier Monterrubio-Martín; Daniel García-Aubert

Addresses: Havas Media, Avenida General Perjon, 38, 28020 – Madrid, Spain ' Havas Media, Avenida General Perjon, 38, 28020 – Madrid, Spain ' Havas Media, Avenida General Perjon, 38, 28020 – Madrid, Spain

Abstract: Unique user identification is a key task within the web analytics data collection process, useful for measuring advertising campaigns effectiveness. The fingerprinting technique consists in tracking user activity on a set of sites by capturing technical information about the browser and the machine that the user uses to navigate the web. Browser fingerprinting has been demonstrated to be an effective method for unique user identification when the device used to navigate the web does not support cookies. However as the attributes used for generating browser fingerprint evolve, multiple distinct fingerprint records are created for the same user, leading to incorrect unique user identification. This paper presents a technique for unique user identification that detects browser fingerprint evolution.

Keywords: browser fingerprints; user identification; user tracking; web analytics; online advertising; advertising measurement; advertisements; fingerprint evolution; unique users; data collection; advertising campaigns; advertising effectiveness; user activity; websites; internet; world wide web; web navigation; web browsers; computers; cookies; distinct fingerprint records; multiple fingerprint records; incorrect identification; electronic business; e-business.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEB.2012.051116

International Journal of Electronic Business, 2012 Vol.10 No.2, pp.120 - 141

Published online: 15 Apr 2015 *

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