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What are specific examples of Google shaping web standards, especially ones that require browser support? (self.firefox)

submitted 3 weeks ago by TheTwelveYearOld to c/[email protected]

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It's no secret that Google has a very large influence. They have influenced web pages into being highly optimized for high search engine rankings, and have pushed AMP: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/googles-amp-canonical-web-and-importance-web-standards-0. However I haven't found any concrete examples of Google pushing web standards that have been adopted and require browser support. I've read comments here and there like this one, that the Shadow DOM was created and pushed by Google, perhaps to make it harder to block ads, but didn't find any sources on that.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Google is one of the largest members of the Private Advertising Technology Community Group, which allegedly seeks to replace traditional advertisement tracking with new, more private advertisement tracking. (Other members include Facebook, many ad corporations, and an unfortunate name you my recognize.)

If you have heard of Topics, FLoC, "Privacy" Sandbox, etc, those proposals are all closely linked to this group.

The W3C ~~launders and legitimizes~~ sponsors this commission, so these may become canonical web standards in the very near future.

I've talked to a few people who have insisted that the standards established by this committee should be mandatory... Not on the web level, but on a government level.