Privacy Glossary

A technique that analyzes your device's audio processing characteristics. Subtle differences in audio rendering create a unique fingerprint.

A tracking technique that renders invisible text and shapes on an HTML5 canvas element. The rendered image is unique to your device and browser, creating a fingerprint.

The number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel. Higher color depth means more colors can be displayed.

Domain Name System - Translates domain names (like example.com) into IP addresses. DNS leaks occur when your DNS queries bypass your VPN.

DNS over HTTPS - Encrypts DNS queries using HTTPS, preventing ISPs and other parties from seeing which websites you visit.

A combination of browser and device characteristics that can uniquely identify you, even without cookies.

A cookie that cannot be accessed by JavaScript. This helps prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

Interactive Connectivity Establishment - A protocol used by WebRTC to establish peer-to-peer connections.

A low-level API for storing large amounts of structured data in the browser. More powerful than localStorage but more complex.

Internet Protocol address - A unique identifier for your device on the internet. Can reveal your approximate location.

Internet Service Provider - The company that provides your internet connection. They can see all your unencrypted traffic.

A browser storage mechanism that persists data even after the browser is closed. Unlike cookies, it's not sent to the server automatically.

Round Trip Time - The time it takes for a data packet to travel from your device to a server and back. Measured in milliseconds.

A cookie attribute that prevents cookies from being sent with cross-site requests, helping to prevent CSRF attacks.

A cookie that is only sent over HTTPS connections. This prevents the cookie from being intercepted over unencrypted connections.

Similar to localStorage, but data is cleared when the browser tab is closed. Useful for temporary data storage.

Session Traversal Utilities for NAT - A protocol used by WebRTC to discover your public IP address.

A cookie set by a domain other than the one you're visiting. Often used for tracking across websites.

Your device's time zone setting. This can reveal your approximate geographical location.

A string that identifies your browser and operating system. Websites use this to detect your browser type and version.

Virtual Private Network - Encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a remote server, hiding your real IP address.

Web Graphics Library - A JavaScript API for rendering 3D graphics. It can reveal your GPU and graphics card information, which is unique to your device.

Web Real-Time Communication - A technology for peer-to-peer communication. It can leak your real IP address even when using a VPN.