Systems, methods, and devices for obfuscation of browser fingerprint data on the world wide web

1. A method for obfuscation of browser fingerprint data, comprising:

providing, on a computer network of a network provider, a privacy manager appliance, wherein the privacy manager appliance comprises an information processing apparatus comprising at least one computer processor;

receiving, at an input interface of the privacy manager appliance, an electronic communication from an electronic device, wherein the electronic communication is addressed to an internet destination;

identifying, by the privacy manager appliance, a raw device fingerprint value in the electronic communication from the electronic device;

selecting, by the privacy manager appliance, a replacement value for the raw device fingerprint value;

replacing, by the privacy manager appliance, the raw device fingerprint value with the replacement value in the electronic communication; and

sending, from an output interface of the privacy manager appliance, the electronic communication with the replacement value to the internet destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the privacy manager appliance is provided from a cloud environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input interface of the privacy manager appliance is configured as a network gateway for the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic communication is from a browser executed by the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic communication is from a computer application executed by the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internet destination is a website provider or an application provider.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw device fingerprint value comprises one of a browser identifier, a flash status, a cookie status, a display characteristic, a font supported, a form field, a java status, a language status, a Silverlight status, an operating system identifier, an operating system version, a set time zone, a touchscreen status, a default browser identification, an identification of an enabled plugin, and data stored in persistent browser storage.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw device fingerprint value comprises one of GPS coordinates for the electronic device, a geolocation of the electronic device, and an IP address of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw device fingerprint value comprises one of a HTTP header field sent as part of a GET command, HTTP body data sent as part of a POST or PUT command, and a HTTP URL argument sent as part of a GET command.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement value changes a case of a character in the raw device fingerprint value, inserts or removes a white space in the raw device fingerprint value, eliminates a redundant value in the raw device fingerprint value, changes a version number in the raw device fingerprint value, or inserts an unused data element in the raw device fingerprint value.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein a range of replacement values is provided for each device fingerprint value.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement value is a default value.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement value is a random or pseudo-random value.

14. A device for obfuscation of browser fingerprint data, comprising:

at least one computer processor;

a memory;

an input interface; and

an output interface;

wherein:

the device is positioned on a computer network of a network provider;

the input interface is configured to receive an electronic communication from an electronic device, wherein the electronic communication is addressed to an internet destination;

the at least one computer processor is configured to identify a raw device fingerprint value in the electronic communication from the electronic device;

the at least one computer processor is configured to generate a replacement value for the raw device fingerprint value;

the at least one computer processor is configured to replace the raw device fingerprint value with the replacement value in the electronic communication; and

the output interface is configured to send the electronic communication with the replacement value to the internet destination.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the device is positioned in a cloud environment.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the input interface is configured as a network gateway for the electronic device.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the electronic communication is from a browser executed by the electronic device, or from a computer application executed by the electronic device.

18. The device of claim 14 , wherein the raw device fingerprint value comprises at least one of a browser identifier, a flash status, a cookie status, a display characteristic, a font supported, a form field, a java status, a language status, a Silverlight status, an operating system identifier, an operating system version, a set time zone, a touchscreen status, a default browser identification, and an identification of an enabled plugin.

19. The device of claim 14 , wherein the replacement value changes a case of a character in the raw device fingerprint value, inserts or removes a white space in the raw device fingerprint value, eliminates a redundant value in the raw device fingerprint value, changes a version number in the raw device fingerprint value, or inserts an unused data element in the raw device fingerprint value.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon for obfuscation of browser fingerprint data, which when read and executed by one or more computers positioned on a computer network of a network provider cause the one or more computers to perform steps comprising:

receiving, at an input interface of the one or more computers, an electronic communication from an electronic device, wherein the electronic communication is addressed to an internet destination;

identifying, by the one or more computers, a raw device fingerprint value in the electronic communication from the electronic device;

selecting, by the one or more computers, a replacement value for the raw device fingerprint value;

replacing, by the one or more computers, the raw device fingerprint value with the replacement value in the electronic communication; and

sending, from an output interface of the one or more computers, the electronic communication with the replacement value to the internet destination.