1563016 - Save the Private Browsing Search Engine in the telemetry environment

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Search, task, P2)

Description

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

We should save the search engine for private browsing into the telemetry environment in the same way as we do for the normal search engine.

This will help us assess the usefulness of the private browsing setting for users.

Note: this needs privacy & data review.

Comment 1

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

Attachment: Bug 1563016 - Save details of the private browsing search engine in the telemetry environment. r?chutten!,daleharvey!

Comment 2

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

Attachment: PrivateBrowsingEngineDataCollectionReview.md

Comment 3

[Ben Miroglio [:bmiroglio]]

A couple questions for context:

• Is this just tracking what the default engine is if the user opens a PBM window, or only if a PBM window is used for a given session?

• Where can a user toggle/change their default private engine, but not their default engine? This wasn't immediately obvious to me when checking preferences/config.

Comment 4

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

(In reply to Ben Miroglio [:bmiroglio] from comment #3)

A couple questions for context:

• Is this just tracking what the default engine is if the user opens a PBM window, or only if a PBM window is used for a given session?

This will be if they open a PBM window.

• Where can a user toggle/change their default private engine, but not their default engine? This wasn't immediately obvious to me when checking preferences/config.

It will be available as an option in preferences, the UX is still under discussion, but it will be implemented in bug 1563021.

I'm expecting it'll behave exactly like the current default search engine, but just for private mode. For this telemetry we're adding it to the environment data, just like we do with the current default search engine.

Comment 5

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

Attachment: PrivateBrowsingEngineDataCollectionReview.md

Comment 6

[Ben Miroglio [:bmiroglio]]

Chris: hoping to get a second pair of eyes on this since it touches PBM.

Since there's now precedent for tracking PBM within a session as a boolean, I'm inclined to say this is fine since it will behave in the same way.

What do you think?

Comment 7

[Chris H-C :chutten]

More than precedent, we have a publicly-stated framework for how we intend to (and also how we might choose to not) instrument PBM.

AFAICT this is perfectly in-line with Ehsan's guidance from last year, so we can proceed.

Comment 8

[Ben Miroglio [:bmiroglio]]

Comment on attachment 9090037 [details]
PrivateBrowsingEngineDataCollectionReview.md

# Data Review Form 

1) Is there or will there be **documentation** that describes the schema for the ultimate data set in a public, complete, and accurate way?

This will be documented in the [probe dictionary](https://telemetry.mozilla.org/probe-dictionary/).

2) Is there a control mechanism that allows the user to turn the data collection on and off? (Note, for data collection not needed for security purposes, Mozilla provides such a control mechanism) Provide details as to the control mechanism available.

Yes, this is can be turned off by disabling Telemetry in Firefox Preferences.

3) If the request is for permanent data collection, is there someone who will monitor the data over time?

Yes. Ryan Harter, Mike Connor, and the broader fx-search team will monitor this data.

4) Using the **[category system of data types](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Data_Collection)** on the Mozilla wiki, what collection type of data do the requested measurements fall under?

Category 2: Interaction Data

5) Is the data collection request for default-on or default-off?

default-on

6) Does the instrumentation include the addition of **any *new* identifiers** (whether anonymous or otherwise; e.g., username, random IDs, etc.  See the appendix for more details)?

No.

7) Is the data collection covered by the existing Firefox privacy notice? **If unsure: escalate to legal if:**

Yes.

8) Does there need to be a check-in in the future to determine whether to renew the data? (Yes/No) (If yes, set a todo reminder or file a bug if appropriate)**

No.

9) Does the data collection use a third-party collection tool?

No.

data-review: r+

Comment 9

[Chris H-C :chutten]

If you haven't already, please reach out to Data Engineering (:mreid's team) to see if this will need a schema change deployed before this change lands.

Comment 10

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

(In reply to Chris H-C :chutten from comment #9)

If you haven't already, please reach out to Data Engineering (:mreid's team) to see if this will need a schema change deployed before this change lands.

Already done, and I just created PR here: https://github.com/mozilla-services/mozilla-pipeline-schemas/pull/407

Comment 11

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

(In reply to Mark Banner (:standard8) from comment #10)

(In reply to Chris H-C :chutten from comment #9)

If you haven't already, please reach out to Data Engineering (:mreid's team) to see if this will need a schema change deployed before this change lands.

Already done, and I just created PR here: https://github.com/mozilla-services/mozilla-pipeline-schemas/pull/407

This has now landed, and it looks like it gets deployed almost straight away. In any case, this won't be turned on until we get the prefs UI in place, so I'm going ahead and landing the patch.

Comment 12

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/4a539bd0f9ba
Save details of the private browsing search engine in the telemetry environment. r=chutten,daleharvey

Comment 13

[Alexandru Michis [:malexandru]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/4a539bd0f9ba