It's easy to verify that, after changing my ip address (such as by connecting to a VPN), my online identity is maintained (site logins remain active, settings remain unchanged, etc.) Of course, once I clear the browser's cookies and cache, this custom info disappears as it always does but would the metadata collected via fingerprinting, tracking beacons, etc. be sufficient to reliably link a user's identity within a reasonable degree of certainty (legal issues notwithstanding)?
For example, say I log in to Stack Exchange with a standard modern web browser. I navigate to a few pages and maybe post a question or an answer. Then I log out, clear my cookies, connect to a VPN or otherwise change my IP address/DNS, and then go back to the site. Assuming I don't log in with the same user account, would the data made available about my hardware, browser, operating system, etc. be enough to detect with relative certainty that I'm still the same person?
