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Google's "Web Environment #Integrity" #proposal is one of the #evilest things I have ever seen proposed for the #internet, possibly only behind #government #IDs being required for any access.
https://github.com/RupertBenWiser/Web-Environment-Integrity/blob/main/explainer.md
Let's get this out of the way: they give a number of #reasons why #webservers "might wish" to establish that a web #client is running on a "#trusted" software stack, including things like "make sure other game players aren't cheating" and "ensure I'm talking to another human".
1/x
That is, of course, 100% pure #unadulterated, #organic, fair trade #bullshit.
There are only two things here that #Google cares about:
1) Having better #evidence that #ad #impressions are being served to actual humans-behind-browsers rather than to #bots. This is because the more certain they can make advertisers feel about this, the more they can #charge for an ad impression.
2) Ensuring that #users do not use ad blockers, because that hurts the bottom line.
2/x
It is a pure #shit #sandwich. All the other use cases they give are the #mustard and the #pickle, put there to hide the #taste of the sandwich.
I personally #recommend you *not* eat a shit sandwich, even if it has fantastic mustard and is served with a really amazing pickle.
They describe it like it will be a wonderful, #open playground, full of #free and open #implementations, and that #websites (and #ad #exchanges... cough) therefore won't be able to use it to #abuse #users.
3/x
But this is #belied by their own #example. They talk about the #attester having to handle "billion-qps traffic" - that's a #billion #queries per #second.
No open-source #project, non-commercial #browser, #community #organization, or virtually anyone else whose business isn't based on tracking, abusing, and selling web users is going to be able to stand up a service like that. It would be economically impossible.
4/x
So the only #attesters will be the ones that #own the #platforms - #Microsoft, #Google, #Apple. Maybe one of the "sure it's open source, but not, like, actually open" #commercial #Linux #distributions like #RedHat.
Maybe some big #retail & #IT #behemoth, like #Amazon/#AWS.
Notice anything in common about those platform owners?
They all #sell #advertising.
5/x
Possibly the best lie-to-your-face part of the explainer is this bit:
> Web Environment Integrity attests the #legitimacy of the underlying hardware
> and #software stack, it does not restrict the indicated application’s functionality:
> E.g. if the browser allows extensions, the user may use extensions; if a
> browser is modified, the modified browser can still request Web Environment
> Integrity attestation.
You know who owns the big browsers? Well, the list is basically Google, stop.
6/x
They go on to say "As new #browsers are introduced, they would need to demonstrate to #attesters (a relatively small group) that they pass the bar [...] #Established browsers would need to only use attesters that respond quickly and #fairly to new browsers' #requests to be #trusted."
If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.
7/x
Using #Google as an example, Google #Chrome will probably only #trust the attestation of ... Google Web Environment Integrity Attestation! Well, plus Microsoft's and Apple's, so it isn't too obviously an anti-competitive #cartel. Which it would be, of course.
Do you think those attestation #services are going to give a "#trusted" #rating to any #browser that wants one? Do you think they'll give it to any browser with an ad-blocker?
Of course not.
8/x
And then, of course, you need to #convince #people to use a browser that does #comply with all the user-tracking and advertisement-enforcing #requirements they set out.
You know how you do that?
By making your own #web #properties only trust those attestation #services under your #control, or under the control of the other cooperating #members of your cozy little #cartel.
9/x
#Google has #YouTube. And Google #Search. And Google #Docs. And Google #Meet. And #Gmail. And about a thousand other sites and services.
If not using a Google-endorsed #browser means #losing #access to all of that, most people are not going to be able to make that choice. They're going to have to use #Chrome, and they'll have to put up with it shoving "#interstitial ads" (aka all-encompassing #TV #commercials in the middle of your attempt to use the service) and a million other ads.
10/x
This is an #attempt to #wrest back #control of the user's #web #experience, so they can #abuse you for money. #Abusing people is very #profitable in Big Tech.
I haven't even dealt with #accessibility issues in this thread, though those are hugely #impacted by this.
It also will make people #unsafe by taking away a lot of #anonymity #choices.
This is pure #evil. Hunt down "Web Environment Integrity" wherever it lives, and kill it with fire.
11/11
#Coda: I've never asked people to share or boost my content; it just doesn't feel right to me.
However, this issue is important. "Regular" people need to know about #WebEnvironmentIntegrity, and how it will be used for evil.
Please share this thread if you are concerned with Google et al taking over control of your web experience.