[whatwg] API for unique identification of devices (mobile/tablet/pc)

[Anselm Hannemann]

On Friday, 14. December 2012 at 08:52, Karl Dubost wrote:
>  
> Le 14 déc. 2012 à 17:51, Stan a écrit :
> > If most of the users do this right now, it does not mean they are happy with this,
>  
>  
> it doesn't mean they are unhappy about it. Or more exactly that a fraction of them can even look for such a feature.
>  
>  
> > Second, user accounts are based on e-mails as a rule, which is not unique at all, every user can have multiple e-mails and multiple registrations.
>  
> which is a feature, not a bug. Professional account, personal account, cooking-club account, etc.
You can already simplify the login and signup process by using a technique like Persona by Mozilla which makes it easy to register an account for the user.   
>  
> > Multiple browser profiles on the same device do not matter, because the same device ID will be returned.
>  
> In some countries, in Asia and Africa, a single device can be used by multiple people. Internet cafes are another use cases. And shiny tablets can be also for one family.

It is just not offered on iPad. Android 4.2 introduced it and the response from the users is amazing.
Many people share a tablet in family also in Europe (and I think in US, too).  
> > The main point, if device ID could be available it would provide more great possibilities for users and web-services.
>  
> And it would create big challenges in usability and privacy.

That would be the biggest challenge I think.
Privacy would be fully exposed to the web service and that for good reason won't work (at least) in the EU.
So this technique would be illegal to use in European countries regarding current privacy laws.

Cheers,
-Anselm