Mobile Websites Can Tap Into Your Phone's Sensors Without Asking [telecom]

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By Lily Hay Newman

WHEN APPS WANTS to access data from your smartphone's motion or light sensors, they often make that capability clear. That keeps a fitness app, say, from counting your steps without your knowledge. But a team of researchers has discovered that the rules don't apply to websites loaded in mobile browsers, which can often often access an array of device sensors without any notifications or permissions whatsoever.