From ca3c42d865e122d3ad5abfcfe9ce14d97ca427a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Hubert Chathi <hubert@uhoreg.ca>
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:32:19 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] deprecate starting verifications without first requesting

---
 ...-starting-verifications-without-request.md | 37 +++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 37 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 proposals/xxxx-deprecate-starting-verifications-without-request.md

diff --git a/proposals/xxxx-deprecate-starting-verifications-without-request.md b/proposals/xxxx-deprecate-starting-verifications-without-request.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3d0ec821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proposals/xxxx-deprecate-starting-verifications-without-request.md
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# MSCxxxx: Depretate starting key verifications without requesting first
+
+Currently, the spec allows a device to begin a verification via to-device
+messages by sending an `m.key.verification.start` event without first sending
+or receiving an `m.key.verification.request` message.  However, doing so does
+not provide a good user experience, and allowing this adds unnecessary
+complexity to implementations.
+
+We propose to deprecate allowing this behaviour.
+
+Note that verifications in DMs do not allow this behaviour.  Currently, Element
+Web is the only client known to do this.
+
+## Proposal
+
+The ability to begin a key verification by sending an
+`m.key.verification.start` event as a to-device event without a prior
+`m.key.verification.request` is deprecated.  New clients should not begin
+verifications in this way, but will still need to accept verifications begun in
+this way, until it is removed from the spec.
+
+## Potential issues
+
+None.
+
+## Alternatives
+
+We could do nothing and leave it in the spec.  But we should clean up cruft when
+possible.
+
+## Security considerations
+
+None.
+
+## Unstable prefix
+
+No unstable prefix is removed since we are simply deprecating behaviour.