w3c/csswg-drafts

[mediaqueries-5] Privacy considerations.

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#3,488 opened on Jan 7, 2019

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Help WantedNeeds Editsmediaqueries-5privacy-tracker

Description

It would be helpful to add a privacy considerations section to this spec, noting that some of the queries reveal interesting information about a user's preferences, which can be useful when building a fingerprint of the user's browser. Consider, for example, the hypothetical user who browses on their bathroom mirror, while inverting colors, preferring reduced motion and transparency, more contrast, and dark mode vs a perhaps more typical user who doesn't change any defaults at all.

Thanks!

Contributor guide

Tech stack
css
Domain
securitydocumentation
Issue type
documentation
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
CSS media queriesprivacy fingerprinting concepts
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
80
Research direction
Look for the 'mediaqueries 5' specification file in the repository, typically named 'MediaQueries 5.html' or similar. Review existing privacy sections in other CSS specs (e.g., CSS Color Adjustment) for structure and tone. Propose a new section that discusses fingerprinting risks from media queries like prefers color scheme, prefers reduced motion, inverted colors, etc., and recommend mitigation strategies.