Web Environment Integrity
Web Environment Integrity (WEI) is an API proposal currently being developed for Google Chrome.[1] As of August 2023,[update] a Web Environment Integrity prototype exists in Chromium,[2] but has not shipped in any browser.[3][non-primary source needed]
Proposal
The draft proposes an API for websites to get a digitally signed token that contains the certifier's name and whether or not they deem the web client to be authentic. The stated goal is to only allow access to certain sites for human users instead of automated programs and "allow web servers to evaluate the authenticity of the device and honest representation of the software stack and the traffic from the device". Access to this API will not be allowed in non-secure (HTTP) contexts.[4]
History
On April 25, 2023, Google engineers, Ben Wiser, Borbala Benko, Philipp Pfeiffenberger and Sergey Kataev created a GitHub repository explaining the details of the proposal.[5] The proposal was flamed by GitHub users, with numerous comments, issues and pull requests voicing strong opposition to the existence of the standard and arguing for its deletion.
On July 21, 2023, Wiser and fellow Google engineer Yoav Weiss added a code of conduct to the explanation repository[6] and locked it from receiving new comments, issues or pull requests.[citation needed] On the same day, preliminary code was added to Chromium to implement the standard. This also received a large amount of highly negative comments.[2]
Reception
The proposal has been widely criticized for limiting general purpose computing, with some comparing WEI to digital rights management (DRM).[7][8] Others have accused the standard of being evidence of Google abusing Chrome's near-monopoly of browser share.[9]
Some stakeholders have issued official statements on the matter:
- On July 25, Mozilla opposed it, stating it "contradicts our principles and vision for the Web".[10]
- On July 27, Vivaldi opposed it as "simply dangerous".[11]
- On July 29, the Free Software Foundation opposed it as "an all-out attack on the free Internet".[12]
- On July 31, Brave Software opposed it as "junk that Google puts into Chromium".[13]
- On August 7, the Electronic Frontier Foundation opposed it as "a bad idea that Google should not pursue".[14]
- On August 11, the World Wide Web Consortium refrained from taking a stance as it was "not being worked on in W3C, nor has there been any submission [for W3C] review".[15]
See also
References
- ^ Amadeo, Ron (August 3, 2023). "Google's nightmare "Web Integrity API" wants a DRM gatekeeper for the web". Ars Technica. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "[wei] Ensure Origin Trial enables full feature · chromium/chromium@6f47a22". GitHub. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ "Feature: Web environment integrity API". Chrome Platform Status. May 9, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Web-Environment-Integrity/explainer.md at main · RupertBenWiser/Web-Environment-Integrity". GitHub. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Wiser, Ben (August 18, 2023), Web Environment Integrity API, retrieved August 19, 2023
- ^ "Create CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md · RupertBenWiser/Web-Environment-Integrity@7998217". GitHub. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Amadeo, Ron (July 24, 2023). "Google's nightmare "Web Integrity API" wants a DRM gatekeeper for the web". Ars Technica. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Claburn, Thomas. "Google Web Environment Integrity draft draws developer rage". The Register. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Claburn, Thomas. "Google Web Environment Integrity draft draws developer rage". www.theregister.com. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ "Request for Position: Web Environment Integrity API · Issue #852 · mozilla/standards-positions". GitHub. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "Unpacking Google's new "dangerous" Web-Environment-Integrity specification". Vivaldi Browser. July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Farough, Greg (July 28, 2023). ""Web Environment Integrity" is an all-out attack on the free Internet". Free Software Foundation. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- ^ Eich, Brendan (July 27, 2023). "We are a fork, have been all along, the "reskinned" claim is complete nonsense. We won't be shipping WEI support, just as we disable or otherwise nullify lots of other junk that Google puts into Chromium". Twitter. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ Doctorow, Cory; Hoffman-Andrews, Jacob (August 7, 2023). "Your Computer Should Say What You Tell It To Say". www.eff.org. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Web Environment Integrity has no standing at W3C; understanding new W3C work". www.w3.org. August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.