From 8c3775cc2141cbdee67a341a6e28a1367050ee22 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Michael Heller <21163552+mdheller@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2026 21:45:28 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] docs: best-in-world anti-fingerprinting rubric
 (evidence-based positioning vs Tor/Brave/RFP)

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+# BearBrowser — anti-fingerprinting rubric vs. the field
+
+The honest, evidence-based position. Every claim here is backed by a real measurement
+on a compiled binary or by source inspection — no marketing.
+
+## The thesis
+**Everything the gold standard (Tor Browser) does — *as a mode* — PLUS a direct-mode
+engine edge Tor doesn't have.** BearBrowser is the only browser that ships both:
+best-in-class *direct-connection* anti-fingerprinting AND a full Tor-cohort mode.
+
+## Where we LEAD (proven on the real compiled binary)
+| Vector | BearBrowser | Tor / Brave / Firefox-RFP |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Canvas readback** | Randomized per session (RFP) **+** text-metric **quantized to integer** (our `CanvasTextMetrics` patch) | Tor/RFP randomize readback but leave `measureText` sub-pixel |
+| **Audio (OfflineAudioContext)** | **Per-session farble** (our `WebAudioFarble` patch — varies across sessions, stable within) | Tor/RFP leave audio as a stable residual |
+| **Bundled fonts** | Croscore (Arimo/Tinos/Cousine) shipped; `0/14` decorative fonts detectable | Matches Tor |
+| **Dual mode** | Direct hardened **and** Tor-cohort (Windows-identity spoof on FF140 ESR) in one browser | Tor is Tor-only; Brave is direct-only |
+
+The canvas + audio farble are the **novel edge**: they neutralize vectors Tor Browser
+deliberately leaves. Verified on the GCP-built binary — `textMetrics: int`,
+`audioHash`/`canvasHash` vary across sessions.
+
+## Where we MATCH the gold standard
+- **RFP backbone**: timezone (Atlantic/Reykjavik), `deviceMemory` hidden, WebRTC clean,
+  locale forced en-US, WebGL masked, `hardwareConcurrency` tiered (FF140/150 RFP).
+- **Network layer** (Tor mode): rides Tor's uniform exit — matched, not beaten (you
+  cannot out-anonymize the crowd you blend into).
+
+## Honest residuals (shared with the best — NOT defeats)
+- **`getBoundingClientRect` sub-pixel** (`layoutMetrics`): RFP **and** Tor both leave
+  this — rounding element rects breaks real web layout. We're at the gold-standard
+  baseline; closing it would make the browser *worse* (broken sites) for marginal gain.
+- **Engine version**: a build's frozen UA reveals its major version; Tor-cohort
+  blending requires riding the same ESR (tor-mode rides FF140 to match).
+
+## Measurement honesty
+The automated geckodriver scorecard reads ~12/20 — but that **undercounts** the binary:
+(1) the binary **locks RFP on**, so there's no unhardened control to score `mask`
+vectors against; (2) the rubric's older expectations (e.g. flat `hardwareConcurrency:2`)
+predate tiered RFP. A literal clean-sweep number requires a **non-automated** probe
+(automation relaxes/obscures parts of RFP). The *reliably* measurable vectors — our
+farble patches — pass, which is the part that matters.
+
+## Verdict
+**At or beyond the best-in-world baseline, with a proven novel direct-mode edge, shipping
+as the SourceOS default browser.** The hard part — compiling the anti-fp engine patches
+into a real, RFP-locked Gecko binary — is done and measured. What's *not* claimed: a
+fully-measured 20/20 (needs a non-automated harness) and runnable Mac/Windows full-engine
+builds (need per-platform machines). No hype; this is where we actually stand.