[tor-bugs] #28800 [Applications/Tor Browser]: Implement New Identity functionality for Tor Browser on Android

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#28800: Implement New Identity functionality for Tor Browser on Android
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 Reporter:  gk                                   |          Owner:  tbb-
                                                 |  team
     Type:  task                                 |         Status:
                                                 |  needs_information
 Priority:  High                                 |      Milestone:
Component:  Applications/Tor Browser             |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                               |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  tbb-mobile, tbb-newnym, ux-team,     |  Actual Points:
  TBA-a3, TorBrowserTeam201903, tbb-8.5          |
Parent ID:                                       |         Points:
 Reviewer:                                       |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by antonela):

 Hi, I have been thinking about the New Identity feature also for desktop,
 and I have some notes made back for an OTF proposal. Maybe is time to
 sharing those here :)

 For readers, the documentation available about what the New Identity
 feature does and how we are communicating this to users is here.

 https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser/design/#new-identity

 Also, this StackExchange questions illuminated me about where this feature
 name is coming from

 https://tor.stackexchange.com/questions/13981/new-identity-vs-reopening-
 browser/13986#13986

 TL;DR: Design goal: **"All linkable identifiers and browser state MUST be
 cleared by this feature."**

 If we trace a user journey map, we can see how the need of a new identity
 is triggered by some specific situations defined by previous browsing
 activities that not necessarily imply a new user but sometimes does. In
 other words, users with technical background rely on a new identity when
 they want to clean back their previous activity. And they want to be sure
 about it.

 During our global south travels, we quickly learned that our target
 demographic did not understand why they would want to use such a feature.
 They did not understand what a new identity would affect, why it would be
 essential to use, and what risks they were facing if they didn’t use the
 new identity feature. The feature did not include enough information to
 guide them through the process or tell them when and why to use a new
 identity.

 Often, users asked us what a difference between asking for a new circuit
 vs. a new identity vs. open a new tab is. Users click on New Identity when
 they want to clean all that they have been doing before, like sensible
 searching.

 My goal with this redesign is changing the perspective of the experience
 of the feature from “what the browser is doing” to “how a user benefits
 from it.”

 If users are using new identity when they want to clean previous activity
 and also to have a new fresh tab, why we don't rename this feature as
 something that can recall on users for the immediate action?

 I think we can rename this feature using terms/icons like "Fire,"
 “Forget,” “Trash,” “Delete,” or “Clean” to indicate 1. the clean of
 previous identifiers and, 2. creation of a fresh tab.

 We could make it consistent with other browsers too. Language consistency
 with other major browsers that users may be familiar with--like Chrome,
 Safari, and Firefox--should make it more clear that clicking the button
 will close the user’s tabs, clear all cookies, and reset the browser’s
 connection to the Tor network.

 Since we are also removing cookies, we need to educate users on their
 first time experience about how sessions will expire and tabs will close.

 The new identity feature improvement is especially critical for mobile
 users. Ephimerous sessions for sensible searches are a core feature for a
 sharing device context like we discovered in Colombia with activists
 collectives. This presentation and this paper talk about these contexts
 deeply.

 **Proposed new user flow**

 1. User clicks on the icon. This action is global, so the icon should be
 placed at the toolbar.
 2. All tabs get closed, and all cookies get cleared (logged sessions will
 expire)
 3. `about:tor` is open

 **TBA Concept**
 https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/attachment/ticket/28800/tba-
 trash.png

 **Questions for development**

 - Do you have a better label to rename this feature that recalls what the
 user wants to do immediately instead of what the browser will do later?
 - Can we offer ephemeral sessions per tabs? Is this possible?
 - Will TBA replicate the same behavior TB has on the desktop?
 - The design doc says "Finally, a fresh browser window is opened, and the
 current browser window is closed (this does not spawn a new Firefox
 process, only a new window)."
     - Can we do it without closing the window? Can we use another visual
 feedback for users to explain that the action has been done?

 **What other browsers are doing?**

 DDG for Mobile
 https://share.riseup.net/#WnqvMynmrlSOVhzhz-mdjg
 https://share.riseup.net/#w9IJcEhOLNOu_nuHs5mNhw

 Firefox Focus (sorry for the spanish version, Borrar=Clean)
 https://share.riseup.net/#2fMSGTg_JZpYjWMat5-QKg

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/28800#comment:8>
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