earlier replies
Replying to @mtomweb @othermaciej @bfulgham @chancerubbage @seldo
No thanks, I don't want web apps to access Bluetooth. Please make a native app for those cases.
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Why? Native offers far less privacy for BT than the web.
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If you think about it, it's just hoop jumping. So your solution is Web -> AppStore -> Install -> fingerprint -> Scan For and Access all bluetooth devices forever. I'd suggest Web -> Web App Install -> accept or fingerprint -> Pair with individual bluetooth device (no scan)
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The second one offers more privacy for the user and the same amount of control.
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One downside: The Web App option removes a (annoying to some) gatekeeper (App Store) that can terminate apps when found to be malicious. What mechanism would you suggest to protect users from a web app that was found to be acting maliciously?
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Really interesting question, first thoughts would be url and device blacklist (with an optional whitelist)… give me a couple of days I’ll give it some more thought.
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I think solving this problem will be an important step towards unblocking access to some dangerous system features via the web.
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But you support camera and GPS access today, right? It doesn't get much more dangerous than that, does it?
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It comes down to fully informed consent. Risk of camera, or location is the obvious risk: site will see me and my surroundings, site will pinpoint my real world location. Likewise the benefit is simple to understand. So users have the info to make the choice.
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With things like Bluetooth or USB the risk is subtle even to experts. We believe it’s wrong to put a choice on users that they don’t have the info to make. Not just us - if you read the Moz standards-positions on this tech, they make the same point. It’s Blink that’s the outlier.
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Replying to @othermaciej @RickByers @bfulgham @mtomweb @_yschung @chancerubbage @seldo
I think saying that camera and location risks are obvious and bluetooth/USB risks are not obvious isn't quite the right distinction. There are many non-obvious risks in both.

Jan 29, 2022 · 12:47 AM UTC

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Replying to @davidbaron @othermaciej @RickByers @bfulgham @mtomweb @_yschung @chancerubbage @seldo
Many people might not think that giving camera permission reveals their sexual orientation/preferences, or that giving location permission reveals their identity. A key difference is that the information that is being revealed can be clearly described in a nontechnical way.
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This idea was part of what motivated some of my wording choices in github.com/w3ctag/design-pri… (which, for what it's worth, was written when I had a different employer).
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