On 26/10/2016 08:30, Chris Peterson wrote:
What is the use case for the Battery Status API [0],
navigator.getBattery()? Can we remove the Battery API or perhaps
restrict it to non-web content like browser extensions or privileged web
apps? Chrome and Firefox support the Battery API, but neither Edge nor
WebKit have signaled an intent to implement it [3].
In theory, web developers would use the Battery API to save document
data before the battery dies, to ease off heavy computation when the
battery is low, or to implement the Firefox OS settings app. The real
world use cases, however, seem to be fingerprinting users [1] and
inflating Uber prices for desperate users with low batteries [2].
Maybe it was just me, but I initially (mis)interpreted this as a claim
that Uber does this. The article at [2], however, doesn't say that. It
does suggest this -could- be done, but not that it -has- been; and the
Uber representative is quoted as saying that "[w]e absolutely don’t use
that...".
I imagine the negative publicity if a company like Uber were caught
actually doing this -- which seems like it wouldn't be too hard for an
investigative reporter to confirm -- could well outweigh any benefit
they might hope to reap.
JK
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