AliExpress Caught Using Inaudible Ultrasonic Audio to Fingerprint User Browsers
In a controversial web privacy incident, e-commerce giant AliExpress has been caught utilizing browser Web Audio APIs to secretly fingerprint millions of site visitors.
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The technique sends high-frequency, inaudible audio signals through the browser and measures hardware dynamic frequency responses via micro-variations in system sound card processing. The resulting acoustic signature creates a persistent tracking ID that survives cookie sweeps and VPN routing.
Privacy researchers and browser vendors are calling for strict permission prompts before websites gain access to Web Audio synthetic oscillator nodes.