Google's Web Environment Integrity

2/08/2023 at time of writing

Here's the deal. You have Google, THE premiere ad-driven company who makes the Chrome browser and has a strong say about how you need to use their internet-related standards, making the Web Environment Integrity standard, which is supposed to kick out bots and verify that you're running a trustworthy OS and browser. They'll never think about abusing it, right? Right...?

Web Environment Integrity

Officially, Web Environment Integrity is a new form of attestation (verification of trust) that receives a cryptographic token that states key facts about the running OS, browser, letting the website return a verdict on whether the software can be trusted or not, resulting in blocked access if untrusted. The big problem here is that everything can easily be clamped down to enforce the usage of STOCK Windows 11 and Google Chrome (which already did damage to ad blockers and other privacy extensions) to ensure the maximum amount of stolen information to be sold to data brokers and others in the black market. This is what most power/semi-power users are worried about, and it should worry you too if you don't use Chrome or Chromium stock, even if it's stock Firefox you run.

The alarm bells raise hell and the hounds of war once you understand that Google will likely use this on ALL their stuff, from Google Drive to anyone that uses their Google Ads to maintain their sites if not siphon off some of that sweet moolah for themselves (I'm staring at certain """news""" websites). Not even the EU or any combo of anti-trust agencies would be able to contain the DAMAGE this will cause, and I'd say it could result in a form of "coup" we haven't seen before, where the EU would be utterly powerless in such a situation.

How can I stop this?

Start with contacting anti-trust organizations nearby and let them know what's going on with WEI in a way that's quick to be understood. You should encourage others who you know to be power users (or anyone who doesn't use Chrome/Chromium) to do the same. Next, if you're in the EU, try to raise your local politician on the issue at hand to increase chances of this actually getting blocked.

Github (do not harrass devs)

https://github.com/RupertBenWiser/Web-Environment-Integrity

Back to main blog page.