What is an IP Address, and What Does It Say About You?
Your IP address is essentially a number assigned by your internet service provider to every internet connection. It doesn’t always tie directly to your device, and it might not always stay the same. Its main job? To direct information across the internet—helping not just to load up web pages, but also to serve up online content (yes, including those ads that seem to know you too well) right to the device you’re using.
But there’s more beneath the surface. Your IP address can also give away an approximate location, often narrowed down to within 500 meters (about a third of a mile) of where you’re browsing. While it’s not your exact home address, it’s more than enough for websites and services to know whether you’re in the middle of Manhattan or relaxing at Bondi Beach.
Device Identifiers: Cookies and the Digital Footprint
There’s another layer to your online identity: the device identifier. This is a unique string of characters attached to your device or web browser—thanks to cookies or other storage technologies. Think of it as a nametag for your smartphone, laptop, or that tablet you only use for late-night streaming. Sites can create or reference this ID to recognise your device, whether you’re popping in and out of the same webpage or even across multiple websites and apps.
And then there’s the probabilistic identifier (a mouthful, but stick with us). By blending details like the browser type, OS, and your IP address, sites can take a good guess at who you might be—even if you clear those cookies. Provide your consent, and throw in things like your installed fonts or screen resolution, and that digital “guessing game” gets even sharper. It’s called “probabilistic” because multiple devices may share overlapping features and the same internet connection, but it’s often accurate enough for advertisers and analytics companies.
Your Actions Online: The Data Trail
Your online activity—sites you visit, apps you use, what you search for, and how many times you’ve clicked on specific content or ads—can all be observed, analysed, and compiled.
This means the more you surf, the more you reveal—not just about your browsing habits, but potential interests, what you might want to buy, and even your “consumer profile.” All this can be pieced together from your previous activity, the time you spend on various sites and content, or the details you’ve volunteered—like your age or job.
- Sites and apps accessed
- Content sought and viewed
- Interactions: clicks, views, responses to ads
- Self-reported info: from feedback forms to account details (age, occupation, etc.)
Put simply, everything you tap, swipe, or type can add to a portrait of you as a digital citizen.
What’s Deduced and Why?
With enough pieces of your digital puzzle—your IP, device ID, online behaviour, and volunteered info—some fairly detailed characteristics can be deduced or even modelled. This can cover things like your likely interests, your purchasing intentions, and how you fit as a consumer.
So next time you see eerily specific ads for hiking gear after googling “best walks in Yosemite,” just remember: Your IP and digital fingerprint might be more talkative than you think. Still, there’s some comfort in knowing you share these characteristics with countless others online—in other words, probabilistic identifiers aren’t quite the crystal balls advertisers wish they were.
Equipped with this knowledge, you’ll never look at that string of numbers in your network settings quite the same way again!
