Your IP Address: Not So Unique After All
Your IP address is a string of numbers given to you by your internet service provider every time you connect to the internet. But here’s the twist:
Your IP address is not always specific to your device, and it isn’t always a stable identifier. It’s used to route information on the internet and display online content (including ads) on your connected device.
In other words, while it’s essential for surfing the web, it’s not necessarily the digital fingerprint people often think it is, especially if your IP changes or is shared by several gadgets in your home or office.
Device Identifiers: The Cookies That Remember You
A device identifier is like your device’s backstage pass—a custom string of characters, saved by cookies or other storage technologies, that helps sites recognize you. This ID can be created or accessed to spot your device—say, when you revisit a website, or when you bounce between sites or apps that coordinate to remember you.
There’s also something called a probabilistic identifier. This can be cooked up by combining info about your device (even something as bland as browser or operating system type) and your IP address. With a bit more data and your permission—like which fonts you have installed or your display resolution—this identifier gets even more precise. Still, it’s called “probabilistic” for a reason: lots of devices can have similar quirks and share a connection, so you’re not as singular as you may think. This identifier can also be used to recognize your device across multiple websites or apps.
Your Digital Footprints: What You Do Online
What you get up to online is a treasure trove for trackers! This includes:
- Websites you visit,
- Apps you use,
- Content you search for in a service,
- Your interactions with ads or media content—the number of times you’ve seen something, or whether you’ve clicked it, for instance.
Even if you think you’re just aimlessly browsing, your journey is mapped, counted, and interpreted.
Putting the Pieces Together: Data You Share & What’s Inferred
The information you directly declare—like filling out a form (for feedback or comments) or setting up an account (hello, age and occupation!)—is valuable. But here’s the kicker: characteristics such as your likely interests, intent to purchase, or consumer profile can be inferred or modeled based on the online things you’ve read, the services you’ve used, and how much time you’ve spent on certain content or services. Combined with what you’ve shared, this paints a picture that is a lot more multi-dimensional than you might expect.
A (Very) Approximate Location
What about your location? Your whereabouts might be estimated as a zone with at least a 500-meter radius. That’s about one-third of a mile—for context, think of the length of five football fields stitched together. This rough location might come from your connection’s IP address, meaning you won’t be pinpointed to a street number, but you’ll still be mapped to the right general corner of town.
In short, while tracking technologies can paint a detailed picture of your habits and devices, the pieces often overlap, blend, or shift—meaning your digital identity may be less unique (or more anonymous) than it might feel!
