4 ms·

Google emits Chrome 94 with 'Idle Detection' API to detect user inactivity

34 points by pinewurst 5y ago

tinus_hn 5y ago
Just another feature that trades user privacy and security for some hypothetical benefit.
- deadmutex 5y ago
  From TFA: "Idle Detection API is subject to user permission, which can be found in Chrome 94 settings".
  - MaxLeiter 5y ago
    For now. What happens when its widely used and sites require it being enabled? Then Firefox and other browsers will need to add it to remain competitive / useful Edit: seems like firefox might have this, also under a permission: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/idle https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/Web...
    - cpeterso 5y ago
      That Firefox idle detection API is only available to add-ons, whereas Chrome's API is available to all web content (after prompting for user permission).
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - Nicksil 5y ago
    >From TFA: "Idle Detection API is subject to user permission, which can be found in Chrome 94 settings". Nothing in the article states specifically but, from what I can see, this "permission" looks to be opt out. If that's the case, then not much better.
  - tinus_hn 5y ago
    Right, so every site is going to show a pop-up requesting this right? That would never fly so if this ‘feature’ is to gain any traction it’ll default to ‘allow everyone’, or it’s dead on arrival.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
egfx 5y ago
I really appreciate this feature. Yes the obvious case is crypto but there are other interesting opportunities in web automation not strictly crypto related.
mindcrime 5y ago
The feature is designed for multi-user applications such as meetings, chat, and online games. Meanwhile, from the "old man shakes fist at cloud department" I'll just add that I don't think most of those things belong in the browser to begin with. Of course we lost that battle a long time ago, so not much point in worrying about it now. At this point, I guess we just have to accept that browsers will keep inflating much like the cosmos itself... without apparent end unless there's enough gravitational mass to cause the whole thing to eventually collapse back into itelf.
- mdaniel 5y ago
  Speaking as a consumer of the Zoom browser client, I can say that one less thing to install and then have it inevitably RCE my machine due to some "cute" feature, plus consume 100% of my CPU, is a strong use-case for in-browser when possible I am, of course, deeply aware of the bi-weekly Chrome vulns, along with its ability to consume all RAM and CPU, but on the whole I trust Chromium developers a lot more than randos with g++ and a dream That's not even mentioning my chromebook where "installing something" is a very weird concept anyway
  - Nicksil 5y ago
    >[...] have it inevitably RCE my machine due to some "cute" feature, plus consume 100% of my CPU [...] >I am, of course, deeply aware of the bi-weekly Chrome vulns, along with its ability to consume all RAM and CPU [...] This doesn't sense. The latter statement negates the former. >but on the whole I trust Chromium developers a lot more than randos with g++ and a dream Why? Unless you're familiar with Chrome developers then they are indeed a bunch of "randos" to you. They also work for a company with a solid history of dark patterns, shoddy software, and abuse of trust. I don't see how that group of developers is somehow more trustworthy than any other software developer you don't know. >with g++ and a dream What does this even mean?
    - AlexAndScripts 5y ago
      Because Google may not have your best interests at heart, but their engineers and security are above average.
greatgib 5y ago
Such a joke each time Google is restraining/removing useful features with the pretext of protecting the user's privacy, and then, you have something like that that is pushed without a lot of consideration for the user... You know the truth, for advertisement, they want to know if the user is behind the screen and watched an ad. It will help things like YouTube ensure that you don't switch window or leave the computer during the advertisement before your video begins. The joke is also to pretend that you are safe because "permission" will be asked. But you know how it works, if refusing permission does not feed fake data, website will refuse to work, show a video or article content if you don't enable this permission!
anaganisk 5y ago
In before a googler comments we gave a lot of thought about this, and we are sure this wont be misused for Ads and tracking.
outloudvi 5y ago
Yeah, Google will surely not make use of users' devices to mine cryptos when users are not around!
brokenmachine 5y ago
Serious question, what is the raison d'etre of this API?
deepsun 5y ago
Well, Twitch somehow detects you don't actively watch.
- kbumsik 5y ago
  FYI there is already a similar API: https://caniuse.com/pagevisibility https://caniuse.com/pagevisibility

34 points by pinewurst 5y ago

tinus_hn 5y ago

Just another feature that trades user privacy and security for some hypothetical benefit.

deadmutex 5y ago
From TFA: "Idle Detection API is subject to user permission, which can be found in Chrome 94 settings".
- MaxLeiter 5y ago
  For now. What happens when its widely used and sites require it being enabled? Then Firefox and other browsers will need to add it to remain competitive / useful Edit: seems like firefox might have this, also under a permission: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/idle https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/Web...
  - cpeterso 5y ago
    That Firefox idle detection API is only available to add-ons, whereas Chrome's API is available to all web content (after prompting for user permission).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- Nicksil 5y ago
  >From TFA: "Idle Detection API is subject to user permission, which can be found in Chrome 94 settings". Nothing in the article states specifically but, from what I can see, this "permission" looks to be opt out. If that's the case, then not much better.
- tinus_hn 5y ago
  Right, so every site is going to show a pop-up requesting this right? That would never fly so if this ‘feature’ is to gain any traction it’ll default to ‘allow everyone’, or it’s dead on arrival.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

egfx 5y ago

I really appreciate this feature. Yes the obvious case is crypto but there are other interesting opportunities in web automation not strictly crypto related.

mindcrime 5y ago

The feature is designed for multi-user applications such as meetings, chat, and online games. Meanwhile, from the "old man shakes fist at cloud department" I'll just add that I don't think most of those things belong in the browser to begin with. Of course we lost that battle a long time ago, so not much point in worrying about it now. At this point, I guess we just have to accept that browsers will keep inflating much like the cosmos itself... without apparent end unless there's enough gravitational mass to cause the whole thing to eventually collapse back into itelf.

mdaniel 5y ago
Speaking as a consumer of the Zoom browser client, I can say that one less thing to install and then have it inevitably RCE my machine due to some "cute" feature, plus consume 100% of my CPU, is a strong use-case for in-browser when possible I am, of course, deeply aware of the bi-weekly Chrome vulns, along with its ability to consume all RAM and CPU, but on the whole I trust Chromium developers a lot more than randos with g++ and a dream That's not even mentioning my chromebook where "installing something" is a very weird concept anyway
- Nicksil 5y ago
  >[...] have it inevitably RCE my machine due to some "cute" feature, plus consume 100% of my CPU [...] >I am, of course, deeply aware of the bi-weekly Chrome vulns, along with its ability to consume all RAM and CPU [...] This doesn't sense. The latter statement negates the former. >but on the whole I trust Chromium developers a lot more than randos with g++ and a dream Why? Unless you're familiar with Chrome developers then they are indeed a bunch of "randos" to you. They also work for a company with a solid history of dark patterns, shoddy software, and abuse of trust. I don't see how that group of developers is somehow more trustworthy than any other software developer you don't know. >with g++ and a dream What does this even mean?
  - AlexAndScripts 5y ago
    Because Google may not have your best interests at heart, but their engineers and security are above average.

greatgib 5y ago

Such a joke each time Google is restraining/removing useful features with the pretext of protecting the user's privacy, and then, you have something like that that is pushed without a lot of consideration for the user... You know the truth, for advertisement, they want to know if the user is behind the screen and watched an ad. It will help things like YouTube ensure that you don't switch window or leave the computer during the advertisement before your video begins. The joke is also to pretend that you are safe because "permission" will be asked. But you know how it works, if refusing permission does not feed fake data, website will refuse to work, show a video or article content if you don't enable this permission!

anaganisk 5y ago

In before a googler comments we gave a lot of thought about this, and we are sure this wont be misused for Ads and tracking.

outloudvi 5y ago

Yeah, Google will surely not make use of users' devices to mine cryptos when users are not around!

brokenmachine 5y ago

Serious question, what is the raison d'etre of this API?

deepsun 5y ago

Well, Twitch somehow detects you don't actively watch.

kbumsik 5y ago
FYI there is already a similar API: https://caniuse.com/pagevisibility https://caniuse.com/pagevisibility