Firefox 44 removes privacy feature.

[Tim]

Tim:
>> I wonder if any browsers have a randomiser in them to jiggle the
>> tell-tale signs that browser fingerprinting makes use of?

stan:
> I'm not aware of a plug in that does that, though I think it is
> possible to change some of the information the browser gives out.  The
> trouble is that website client side apps have to know what's available
> for their use, so they are allowed to query the browser to find out
> the environment they are operating in.  And once they do, they have
> the browser fingerprint. So, the trackers piggyback on that to find
> the environment as a fingerprint.  If the environment is blocked to
> stop the trackers, the legitimate apps won't be able to function
> properly.

I wonder how many sites actually do "content negotiation" properly?
(The proper name for that activity.)

Sites are well known to just give you their pages, and throw files at
you, no matter what.  Browsers are well known to say they accept */*,
rather than limit the list to their known abilities.  About the only
differences I know of, these days, are sites that may automatically send
a different version to small screen mobile devices.

e.g. You still get sent flash, even if you didn't have a plugin for it
installed.  The "do you want to install it?" prompts are also sent to
everybody, they just don't show up if you had a Flash player installed.


-- 
tim at localhost ~]$ uname -rsvp

Linux 3.19.8-100.fc20.i686 #1 SMP Tue May 12 17:42:35 UTC 2015 i686

All mail to my mailbox is automatically deleted, there is no point trying
to privately email me, I will only read messages posted to the public lists.

George Orwell's '1984' was supposed to be a warning against tyranny, not
a set of instructions for supposedly democratic governments.