AliExpress runs silent WebAudio fingerprinting that breaks Bluetooth multipoint
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
AliExpress homepage runs hidden WebAudio fingerprinting that disrupts Bluetooth multipoint headphone switching.
A user found that opening AliExpress in Firefox or Chrome silently creates two WebAudio graphs from obfuscated scripts (collina.js and fireyejs.js). These scripts generate a sawtooth waveform, analyze it through an AnalyserNode, and connect via a zero-gain node to the system audio destination, producing no audible sound but keeping the Bluetooth audio path active. This prevents multipoint headphones from switching to a phone. The scripts are part of a broader browser fingerprinting system measuring canvas, WebGL, hardware, and interaction data. Blocking them with uBlock Origin rules stopped the audio contexts and restored normal headphone switching.
What commenters are saying
Commenters found the side effect deeply concerning, particularly that the audio stream bypassed browser and OS mute controls and affected hardware behavior. Several noted similar experiences with AliExpress on iOS and Windows. A point was made that audio playback should be permission-gated like the webcam or microphone. The original author submitted the uBlock filter to uAssets for inclusion. Some commenters warned against installing the AliExpress app, citing security and data-mining concerns, while others defended using the website directly without issues.