1380537 - about:addons (Get Add-ons) triggers Google Analytics tracking in discovery panel

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, enhancement, P2)

Description

[Ben Kelly [:bkelly, not reviewing]]

It has been noted that about:addons is collecting metrics via google analytics:

https://twitter.com/NicolasPetton/status/884694176515936256

I assume this is because the discovery pane loads this page which has GA:

https://discovery.addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/discovery/pane/56.0a1/Darwin/normal

While we process GA in content windows, I do think its a bit unusual to do this from a trusted about: window.

For example, if the user opts out of all telemetry collection, do we still run this GA script from a tightly integrated about: page?  This would seem to be disrespecting user wishes.

Also, it seems unnecessary to use GA here since we are loading this page from within about:addons.  Surely we can use our standard telemetry and data collection practices here.

Benjamin, I seem to recall you are a data steward/reviewer.  What is our position on this?  Should about:addons honor the user telemetry preferences?  (Sorry if you're not the right person to ask!)

Comment 1

[Virtual_ManPL [:Virtual] 🇵🇱 - (please needinfo? me - so I will see your comment/reply/question/etc.)]

See also - https://github.com/mozilla/addons-frontend/issues/2785

Comment 2

[Virtual_ManPL [:Virtual] 🇵🇱 - (please needinfo? me - so I will see your comment/reply/question/etc.)]

Also enabling "Do Not Track" option, should also prevent tracking in this case.

Comment 3

[Virtual_ManPL [:Virtual] 🇵🇱 - (please needinfo? me - so I will see your comment/reply/question/etc.)]

There were thread about it in the past - bug #1302552

Comment 4

[Virtual_ManPL [:Virtual] 🇵🇱 - (please needinfo? me - so I will see your comment/reply/question/etc.)]

It was fixed by Matthew Riley MacPherson [:tofumatt].
Please see this URL for more information - https://github.com/mozilla/addons-frontend/issues/2785#issuecomment-315212909
So I think I can mark this bug as FIXED.

ni so you won't miss this

Comment 6

[Kumar McMillan [:kumar]]

The Discovery Pane website (addons-frontend) has only disabled Analytics when Do Not Track is enabled (see https://github.com/mozilla/addons-frontend/issues/2792). Thus, I think this bug should remain open.

Comment 7

[Benjamin Smedberg]

reopening this for a more comprehensive decision. I'm working with Kev on some details.

Comment 8

[Virtual_ManPL [:Virtual] 🇵🇱 - (please needinfo? me - so I will see your comment/reply/question/etc.)]

In first place, why we even using Google Analytics, instead of using self hosted FOSS web analytics software like Piwik or Open Web Analytics?

Comment 9

[Andy McKay]

Changing assignment based on comment 7.

Comment 10

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Rebecca and I have been working on clarifying the existing policy and proposed policy changes: Rebecca is going to take this since I am leaving Mozilla.

Comment 11

[Andy McKay]

Marking as wontfix for 57 because I don't know what the next steps are here. Rebecca, if anything is going to change for 57, please let me know and I will alter appropriately.

Comment 12

[[e-mail]]

The data platform team is extending client APIs to enable first party measurement for hybrid content such as about:addons.  We expect to have this work completed this year.  Use of GA in hybrid content will be revisited upon that time.  Immediate plans are to ensure that all measurement and analytics, first or third party, obey data collection preferences.

Comment 14

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

Moving to p2 because no activity for at least 24 weeks.
See How Do You Triage for more information

Comment 15

[Mark Striemer [:mstriemer]]

This page no longer loads content from AMO so GA is gone.

Or rather it uses the AMO API rather than loading an HTML page with GA on it.