Chrome-Stats extension
WebGL Fingerprint Defender
Defending against WebGL fingerprinting by reporting a fake value.
What is WebGL Fingerprint Defender?
Stats
- storage
- contextMenus
- notifications
Chrome-Stats Rank
Summary
WebGL Fingerprint Defender is a browser add-on that let you easily hide your real WebGL fingerprint by reporting a random fake value.
According to many tech blogs, completely blocking WebGL API is not a good idea, therefore reporting a fake fingerprint could be the best solution to better protect your privacy. This add-on simply adds a small noise to the actual fingerprint and renews it every time you visit a website or reload a page.
With the browser's WebGL API, in general, two types of fingerprints can be generated. One with WebGL constants and the other with an image that is rendered with the WebGL API. This addon can spoof both values at the same time.
To disable this add-on, please visit extensions page in your browser and then click on the disable button. Please note that this addon does not any toolbar icon/button.
Note: If you also want to protect your browser against other types of fingerprints, please see my other addons: Canvas Fingerprint Defender, AudioContext Fingerprint Defender.
If you have a feature request, or found a bug to report, please fill out the bug report form on the addon's homepage.
User reviews
User reviews summary
Pros
- The add-on can generate a different WebGL fingerprint each time a page loads, effectively defending against WebGL fingerprinting.
- The add-on appears to do what it promises - it blocks WebGL fingerprinting.
- Fingerprint randomization works as advertised, according to some users.
Cons
- The add-on disrupts the functionality of Google Maps, causing certain features to stop working or the map to appear black.
- There's no option to disable the add-on on a per-site basis - users need to disable it manually in the add-on settings.
- The add-on doesn't have a whitelisting feature where users could choose websites where the add-on won't apply its defences.
- Some users find the desktop notifications to be intrusive, wishing they could be disabled or moved to the toolbar section.
Most mentioned
- The add-on blocks WebGL fingerprinting.
- Google Maps does not work properly when the add-on is enabled.
- The lack of a whitelist feature or the ability to disable the add-on on specific websites is a recurrent complaint.
Recent reviews
Safety
Risk impact
WebGL Fingerprint Defender may not be safe to use and it requires some risky permissions. Exercise caution when installing this add-on. Review carefully before installing.
Risk likelihood
WebGL Fingerprint Defender has earned a fairly good reputation and likely can be trusted.
Screenshots
