Exploring Browser History using Cascading Style Sheets

Currently, I am in need of researching a topic for my University project. Unfortunately, the internet has not provided me with any information on this specific subject. The task at hand is as follows:

"How and under what circumstances can one uncover visited pages using a CSS-Trick? What is the mechanism behind this process? Is it feasible to innovate the technology driving it?"

I am unfamiliar with the idea of CSS having the capability to access browser history. Is there anyone who can point me towards articles, blog posts, or other resources related to this inquiry?

css

Answer №1

As pointed out by arieljuod in the comments, your task involves using the :visited pseudo-class, which you can learn more about in this MDN page:

The :visited CSS pseudo-class identifies links that have been visited by the user. Due to privacy concerns, there are limitations on the styles that can be applied using this selector.

The mentioned MDN page contains a detailed section on the privacy-related restrictions of the pseudo-class and provides a link to another page specifically discussing privacy aspects related to certain browsers like Firefox. Here's a brief excerpt:

Prior to around 2010, the CSS :visited selector enabled websites to access a user's browsing history and determine which sites had been visited. This could be achieved through techniques like window.getComputedStyle. This method was fast, allowing not only tracking of the user's web activity but also potential identification of the user.

To address this issue, browsers have restricted the information accessible through visited links.

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