Google’s Web Environment Integrity API is drawing criticism

Google is facing criticism over its new Web Environment Integrity API due to claims that user freedom is being restricted.

The Web Environment Integrity (WEI) API on Chrome has drawn criticism from Internet software developers, who claim that the suggested standard restricts user freedom and jeopardizes the fundamental principles of the open web.

Employees from the web browsers Vivaldi, Brave, and Firefox have voiced opposition to Google's WEI proposal; some have likened it to website digital rights management (DRM).

With the help of a new API proposal called WEI, websites will be given a way to check the legitimacy of browser users and prevent unsafe or fraudulent interactions. For example, this mechanism can be used to establish whether a website is being viewed by a human or a robot, or whether a specific browser running on a particular device is reliable.

According to the report, the WEI proposal's stated objectives are to help websites identify the legitimacy of the software and hardware stack based on the reason they're receiving traffic and to safeguard users from forgery by discouraging malicious online activity. Vivaldi browser creator J. Picalausa referred to WEI as "dangerous" last week.

The developers of the Brave browser, on the other hand, are not concerned about this possibility because Brendan Eich, the company's co-founder and CEO, confirmed that they have no plans to ship WEI. Brian Grinstead, a Firefox engineer, added last week that Mozilla rejects the proposal because it conflicts with its guiding principles and vision for the web.

The Google WEI API proposal is still in the early stages of development, and if it is adopted by all parties, it may experience significant changes.