Re: Battery Status API Last Call Feedback

On 11/29/2011 12:52 PM, Anne van Kesteren wrote:
> Should there be some kind of privacy section? I guess you cannot tell
> much from someone charging his phone, but maybe in conjunction with
> other data you can find patterns of some kind. Fingerprinting is
> probably also somewhat aided by this functionality.

With the current state of the spec, the only privacy issue is quite 
minor: a website can know if you are currently running in battery mode 
which means not plugged. The only usage I can imagine of that 
information is a website trying to suck your power out. Even, such 
website can exist today and the only new information given is whether it 
is worth trying or not.

About fingerprinting, there is currently no way to fingerprint a user 
with this feature because having no battery is going to be perceived as 
being plugged. Being on AC or on battery doesn't seem a sensitive 
information regarding fingerprinting given that being on battery is by 
definition a temporary state. However, coupling with a tracking system, 
it might help knowing if a user "might" have a battery. I don't know if 
that is very useful though.

--
Mounir

Received on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 14:45:56 UTC