Re: [w3c/manifest] Privacy Review: handle start_url tracking (#399)

`start_url` is a potential tracking vector whether or not it contains a query string. It should at least be mentioned in Privacy Considerations if it isn't already.

It is distinct from bookmarks, because there's an easy opportunity to create a unique ID each time `manifest.json` is requested. To achieve the same for bookmarks would require redirects to ensure the user ID is visibly present in every URL on the site. It's much easier for a problem like that to be noticed by at least some thoughtful users and to be raised to public awareness.

There are possible mitigations other than entirely removing `start_url`. For example, `manifest.json` could be fetched on a caching proxy server to prevent stuffing a unique ID in it. (This specific solution creates a new privacy risk that the proxy operator could see the user's browsing; there are likely privacy-preserving solutions to this using crypto or bucketing, similar to the way safe browsing databases work.)

I think this problem should be taken seriously. Tracking via URL parameters is an increasingly common technique on the web in general, to the point that [WebKit deployed active mitigations for it](https://webkit.org/blog/8828/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-2/). If this technique hasn't made it to PWAs yet, that is only good fortune, not a trait to be relied on.

Further, just because there are valid use cases for `start_url` does not mean that the privacy issues should be ignored. After all, cookies have valid uses cases too.

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Received on Friday, 20 September 2019 17:22:27 UTC