on October 13, 2025
Defence of Pierre Laperdrix’s HDR thesis, Monday 13 October 2025 at 1.30 p.m., Lecture Theatre B, Inria Centre, University of Lille.
Title of the thesis: Untangling the Web Tracking Ecosystem to Design Effective Defences
Composition of the jury:
-Supervisor: Romain Rouvoy, Professor, University of Lille
-Rapporteur: Davide Balzarotti, Professor, EURECOM
-Rapporteur: Sonia Ben Mokhtar, Director of Research, LIRIS
-Rapporteur: Olivier Barais, Professor, University of Rennes
-Examiners: Vinvent Roca, Research Fellow, Inria Rhône-Alpes
-Examiner: Gilles Grimaud, Professor, University of Lille
Abstract:
The landscape of web security and online privacy is shaped by rapid technical evolution, increasing complexity, and growing legal oversight. Researchers must constantly adapt to frequent browser updates, shifting standards, and the introduction of new security features, all of which can greatly impact the privacy of online users. Since defending my PhD in 2017, my research has evolved from a focus on browser fingerprinting to a broader investigation of online tracking, client- and server-side threats, and the development of privacy-preserving solutions. This manuscript offers an overview of the various topics I have been able to adress ans explore in depth over the years, thanks to the valuable help and expertise of my colleagues, from whom I have learned a lot. It is organized in two main parts. The first explores the current composition of the tracking ecosystem and examines the effectiveness of current tracking methods, including novel attacks that can be used to identify users online. The second part presents new web defenses that have the potential to enhance web security, ranging from leveraging fingerprinting for security to investigating more aggressive strategies such as removing fingerprintable attributes and even JavaScript to better protect users.
Amphi B (Bâtiment B) Centre Inria de l'Université de Lille
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