What information can a website collect about me without permission?

Without a single prompt, a website can read your IP address, approximate city, device type, operating system, browser and version, screen resolution, battery level, installed fonts, GPU, connected cameras and microphones, and a canvas/audio fingerprint. This page demonstrates dozens of these signals live in your own browser.

What is a browser fingerprint?

A browser fingerprint is a near-unique identifier assembled from your device's characteristics — screen size, fonts, GPU, timezone, and more. The Electronic Frontier Foundation found that only about 1 in 286,000 browsers share the same fingerprint, so most people can be recognised across sites without any cookies at all.

Can a website see my exact location?

By default a site only sees your approximate city, derived from your IP address. Pinpoint GPS location — accurate to a few metres — requires your explicit permission, but many apps and sites request it as a matter of routine.

Can websites see my other tabs or which sites I'm logged into?

No. The browser sandbox and same-origin policy stop any page from reading your other tabs, your history, or another site's data. However, a page can still detect the moment you switch away from its tab, the site you arrived from, and — sometimes — which major services still recognise your browser session.

How do I stop websites from tracking me?

Install a content blocker such as uBlock Origin, use a privacy-focused browser (Brave, Firefox, or Tor), deny camera, microphone, location, and clipboard access by default, block third-party cookies, and turn on Global Privacy Control. Together these steps cut off the large majority of trackers.

Does this website store any of my data?

No. Every reading is computed inside your browser and never leaves it, apart from one optional lookup that turns your IP address into an approximate city. Visits are measured only with anonymous, cookieless counts that cannot identify you.

How to Stop Websites From Tracking You: A Practical Guide

You cannot eliminate tracking entirely, but a handful of changes cut off the large majority of it. Here they are, ordered by impact per minute of effort.

Updated July 2, 2026 · 5 min read

1. Install a content blocker

uBlock Origin is the single highest-impact change. It blocks the third-party scripts responsible for most ads, analytics, and fingerprinting before they ever run. It is free, open source, and available for most browsers.

2. Use a privacy-first browser

Brave blocks trackers and randomises fingerprinting signals by default. Firefox with Enhanced Tracking Protection set to Strict blocks many trackers and resists fingerprinting. For maximum anonymity, the Tor Browser standardises signals so users look alike.

3. Lock down permissions

Deny camera, microphone, location, clipboard, and notification access by default, and grant them per-site only when you genuinely need them. Audit already-granted permissions in your browser's site settings — a granted permission means no prompt next time.

4. Block third-party cookies

Firefox and Safari block third-party cookies by default; Chrome still allows them, so enable the setting manually. The vast majority of sites keep working normally.

5. Turn on Global Privacy Control

Global Privacy Control (GPC) sends a legally recognised opt-out signal that businesses must honour under some US state privacy laws, including California's. It is built into Firefox and Brave and available for Chrome via extensions such as Privacy Badger.

1. Install a content blocker

2. Use a privacy-first browser

3. Lock down permissions

4. Block third-party cookies

5. Turn on Global Privacy Control

Sources & further reading