1403747 - When privacy.resistFingerprinting is true, warn users not to maximize their window

Status: NEW

(Core :: Window Management, enhancement, P5)

Description

[Arthur Edelstein [:arthur]]

In bug 1330882 we introduced a mechanism in Firefox (originally implemented in Tor Browser) whereby new windows are sized to multiples of 200x100 when "privacy.resistFingerprinting" is enabled. However, users may maximize their window, being unaware of the danger to their privacy.

In Tor Browser, we display a notification to users whenever they maximize the window, with the following text:

"Maximizing Tor Browser can allow websites to determine your monitor size, which can be used to track you. We recommend that you leave Tor Browser windows in their original default size."

We would like to propose uplifting this functionality to Firefox. Possibly better would be to give users the option to "unmaximize" before the window has been maximized.

The original tor ticket is here:
https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/7255

The code in torbutton, currently here:
https://gitweb.torproject.org/torbutton.git/tree/src/chrome/content/torbutton.js?id=c2049a5833ffde03cfbf00c8db1042b1c562f380#n2112

Comment 1

[Firefox Bug Husbandry Bot]

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Bug_Triage/Projects/Bug_Handling/Bug_Husbandry#Move_fix-optionals

Comment 2

[wojtek]

I just ran into this problem and I would also like to propose adding information that enabling this option would result in opening new windows/restoring previously closed in not-maximized state.
(I think I read somewhere this option would be enabled by default in some future version, making this even more informative - it was driving me nuts for days recently and I completely forgot about enabling this option)