Privacy

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Browser Timezone & Privacy Concerns (lemmy.world)

submitted 21 hours ago by happeningtofry99158@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Browser Timezone & Privacy Concerns

How can I hide my "timezone" from sniffing sites?

From my understanding, websites can access both the timezone of my browser (without using javascript) and the timezone of my local machine (using javascript). my question being

If a website has access to my local machine's timezone, does it mean it has access to other information on/about my local machine?
According to Privacy - How can I hide my "timezone" from sniffing sites? - Super User, we must disable JavaScript to block timezone access. However disabling javascript is not really feasible as it breaks most of websites. Is there a workaround that allows us to block JavaScript from running specific commands?
Maybe my understanding of JavaScript is incorrect, but if a website has the privilege of running any program on my computer through the web browser, it can retrieve all the information it needs. If I don't disable JavaScript while using the browser, I don't see the point in resisting fingerprinting, like spoofing my device info.

appreciate any help!

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[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

Set your system time to UTC.

[–] happeningtofry99158@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

could you please provide a link to an article or video about how a website could have access to information on local machine?

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Your web browser gives up that information when asked by a site.

[–] happeningtofry99158@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

is it possible to

disable permission for a software running on local machine from attaining local timezone and other information? (like firewall or something similar)
disable permission for a website from attaining local timezone information passed to the browser inside browser using browser extension?

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

There may be browser extensions that will spoof your TZ data.

[–] happeningtofry99158@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

Set your system time to UTC.

but then the time display on my system would be incorrect wouldn't it

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Firefox has a fingerprint resistance serting that sets the clock to UTC. It messes up a lot of sites. There's 10 million people in my timezone so I just leave it.

[–] Album@lemmy.ca 5 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

It'll also be wrong in every application you run in your browser. Even local sites.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 1 points 19 hours ago

Yeah I tried this as well and royally fucked myself. Not worth it.

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago

Yes.