'Anonymous' browsing data can be easily exposed, German researchers reveal

A judge's porn preferences and the medication used by a German MP were among the personal data uncovered by two German researchers who acquired the "anonymous" browsing habits of more than three million German citizens. "What would you think," asked Svea Eckert, "if somebody showed up at your door saying: 'Hey, I have your complete browsing history – every day, every hour, every minute, every click you did on the web for the last month'? How would you think we got it: some shady hacker? It was much easier: you can just buy it." Eckert, a journalist, paired up with data scientist Andreas Dewes to acquire personal user data and see what they could glean from it.