“I *thought* that was hiding information like this, but after a little research online, now I’m not so sure. :)
Unfortunately no it doesn’t. Your target site webserver still collects the Browser version, OS version, an IP address, and each page you hit as you hit them. But a VPN will indeed supply that server with a passive proxy IP address and that does help mask at least your true IP.
I think there is a common misconception about VPNs. They are designed to hide the content back and forth between you and your target site from outside 3rd parties by tunneling. But it doesn’t actually hide much from your chosen target server.
Nor does it protect from being served up scripts if they have them packaged up so that you have to allow them to render the elements of the site such as packaged up in the main JS. (This is the new practice that is killing us).
But I still think you are on to something Ace. There very well might still be a way to spoof an alternative “proxy” OS without having to use a VM or similar. Especially in Linux where we can edit everything. I’m going to dig and will update if I find something guys. :)
Right. I remembered something in the last few minutes--a few OSes (and a laptop) ago, I was running a user agent switcher on firefox that spoofed the browser, OS, etc.
It got so natural, I no longer thought about it. I didn't re-install that, and just assumed things were the same as before.
It's not. :)
You can use “TMAC v6 Mac address” changer
https://technitium.com/tmac/
It is free and will change the MAC address that some sites use to track you. Example is Reddit. They ban you by account so if you get a new one you will find you are banned right away but if you change the mac address then that new account will work until your banned by some moderator who does not like your opinion or by Paramount as happened to me when I criticized their new Star Trek shows. I was banned site wide and not just in the r/star trek one. Turns out Reddit gets paid by them so they become ban happy.