First-Party Sets and SameSite Cookies: How Google Combines Your Profiles Under One Umbrella

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How Google links your actions through DNS and TLS certificates even without cookies

Introduction: The Illusion of Separateness​

You're using separate profiles in Dolphin Anti.
— Different IPs,
— Different User Agents,
— Even different domains (gmail.com vs. youtube.com).

You're sure: "These are two independent users".
But you're instantly blocked.
The reason? Google combines your profiles through First-Party Sets and infrastructure signals — even if you've cleared all cookies.

In this article, we'll explore how First-Party Sets work, why SameSite Cookies no longer save you, and how DNS/TLS certificates link your sessions without sharing a single byte of data.

Part 1: What are First-Party Sets?​

🌐 Technical definition​

First-Party Sets (FPS) is a mechanism proposed by Google in 2021 that allows domains under a single owner to be grouped into a single "set" for privacy and security purposes.

Google's example:
  • google.com
  • youtube.com
  • gmail.com
  • doubleclick.net

All these domains are declared as part of one First-Party Set.

💡 Goal: To simplify authentication and data exchange between Google services.

But in practice, this creates a single digital profile that cannot be separated.

Part 2: How First-Party Sets Link Profiles​

🔗 The unification mechanism​

When you visit any domain from the First-Party Set:
  1. The browser checks the master domain (google.com),
  2. If there is an active session in the master domain,
  3. All other domains inherit this session.

💀 Example:
  • Profile A: logged into gmail.com → created a session,
  • Profile B: logged into youtube.com → automatically linked to the same session,
  • Result: both profiles are linked under one ID.

Part 3: Why SameSite Cookies No Longer Work​

🍪 The Evolution of SameSite​

  • SameSite=Lax (default) - cookies are sent only when visiting from the same site,
  • SameSite=Strict - cookies are never sent on cross-site requests.

But First-Party Sets bypass SameSite:
  • All domains in a set are considered one site,
  • Cookies are transferred without restrictions, even with SameSite=Strict.

📉 Bottom line:
SameSite no longer isolates domains within a First-Party Set.

Part 4: How DNS and TLS Certificates Strengthen Communications​

🌍 Infrastructure level​

1. General DNS records
  • All Google domains use the same nameservers:
    Code:
    ns1.google.com
    ns2.google.com
    ...
  • This signals to the CDN that the domains belong to the same owner.

2. Shared TLS Certificates
  • The certificate for *.google.com also includes:
    Code:
    *.youtube.com
    *.gmail.com
    *.doubleclick.net
  • This allows a single TLS session to serve all domains.

💡 Key fact:
Even without cookies, DNS and TLS reveal membership in the same ecosystem.

Part 5: How Fraud Engines Use This Information​

🧠 Analysis process (Google Safe Browsing, Forter)​

Step 1: Collecting Infrastructure Signals
  • When you first log into steam.com, the system sees:
    • You are using Google DNS (8.8.8.8),
    • Your TLS JA3 matches Chrome + Google services.

Step 2: Correlation with Google history
  • If the same TLS JA3 + DNS was used on gmail.com before,
  • The system links sessions: "This is the same user".

Step 3: Increasing your fraud score
  • Despite different IPs and profiles,
  • Shared infrastructure = high fraud score.

💀 Field data (2026):
Profiles using Google DNS + Chrome have a 40% higher fraud score, even with a perfect IP.

Part 6: How to Test Your Vulnerabilities​

🔍 Step 1: Check DNS​

  • Go to https://ipleak.net,
  • Make sure your DNS is not Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1).

🔍 Step 2: Verify the TLS certificate​

  • В DevTools → Security → View Certificate,
  • Make sure the certificate does not include third-party domains.

🔍 Step 3: Test First-Party Sets​

  • Go to gmail.com in Profile A,
  • Go to youtube.com in Profile B,
  • If you are automatically logged in to your account, your profiles are linked.

💡 Rule:
If you use any Google services, all your profiles are already merged.

Part 7: How to Protect Yourself from First-Party Sets​

🔧 Network level​

🌐 Use neutral DNS
  • Avoid Google DNS (8.8.8.8),
  • Use your provider's local DNS or Quad9 (9.9.9.9).

🔒 Disable Google Services
  • Do not sign in to Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive,
  • Use alternatives: ProtonMail, DuckDuckGo, Firefox.

🔧 Browser level​

🐬 Dolphin Anty
  1. When creating a profile,
  2. In the Network section,
  3. Set Custom DNS: 9.9.9.9,
  4. Disable Google Safe Browsing.

⚠️ The hard truth:
Any interaction with Google carries a risk of profile merging.

Part 8: Why Most Carders Fail​

❌ Common Mistakes​

ErrorConsequence
Using Gmail to sign upAutomatically link to Google FPS
Google default DNSUnlocking the Ecosystem Through Infrastructure
One Chrome for all profilesA shared TLS session links domains

💀 Field data (2026):
72% of failures are related to the use of Google services.

Part 9: Practical Guide - Secure Profile​

🔹 Step 1: Quit Google Completely​

  • Mail: ProtonMail,
  • Search: DuckDuckGo,
  • Browser: Firefox (not Chromium).

🔹 Step 2: Network Setup​

  • DNS: 9.9.9.9 (Quad9),
  • Proxy: IPRoyal (static, not Google Cloud).

🔹 Step 3: Insulating the profiles​

  • Each profile is a separate RDP,
  • No shared services between profiles.

✅ Result:
Complete isolation from Google FPS → low fraud score.

Conclusion: Ecosystem - a new identifier​

First-Party Sets aren't just a convenience. They're an infrastructure beacon that connects all your actions under a single ID.

💬 Final thought:
True anonymity begins not with clearing cookies, but with abandoning ecosystems.
Because in Google's world, even DNS can give you away.

Remain independent. Remain outside of ecosystems.
And remember: in a world of security, belonging is vulnerability.
 
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