[sounds]

From the article: "... the installation of a special font called Palida Narrow, and the purpose of this action is still unknown."

Would this perhaps be a tracking ability, as described at https://panopticlick.eff.org (specifically, the list of "System Fonts")

It would require the users to visit a site that is collecting this tracking information, but it isn't impossible to imagine a popular site among the target audience being strong-armed by a nation-state into installing something to do this.

The tracking is practically invisible to end users.

[malenm]

Just read the same thing [1] - that does seem to be a logical use for a 'custom' font

[1] http://blog.crysys.hu/2012/08/on-the-palida-narrow-mystery-o...

[TazeTSchnitzel]

Also, you could make it the default font for documents, meaning you could trace their origins, perhaps.

[lallysingh]

My first guess was that system font renderers are probably less hardened against exploits, and that the font is exactly that. The name sounds generic enough to look like it fits in with the rest.

[delinka]

Your EFF link says Chrome on iOS is 1 in ~93,000 while a Chrome incognito tab is 1 in ~89,000. Incognito is less unique and more identifiable that a regular tab. Interesting results.

[icegreentea]

What? If you are less unique, then you are also less identifiable.

[delinka]

I certainly got my adjectives mixed up. I usually proofread better than that. Oops.

s/less/more/

[bdittmer]

That is incredibly clever.