How will Google's WEI (Web-Environment-Integrity, basically webpage DRM) affect Steam?

[Mitsukuni]

Google is planning[github.com] to DRM the whole internet and this is a danger to open web. Since with the new client, Steam switched to Electron, which is Chromium so it will be affected.

Will Valve do anything about this?

[Satoru]

Considering there is no specifics about the API or what it would or would not actually do, what would you expect anyone to do other than wait

[Mitsukuni]

Currently yes, we don't know the details about the API, however it's not hard to make out what could it be, because of Manifest v3. It's approximately obvious, irrepressible ad business. However it's not just ads, this includes all the customizations on the browser, in this case Steam itself. Unless EU steps in and prevent this, Valve will have to act one way or another.

[BJWyler]

OK, and? We still know nothing about the nitty gritty. I see no need to pull out the pitch forks at this point. Not that they would change the course any way. This is the 21st Century, righteous indignation isn't carried by the bullet, but by the ballot.

[Mitsukuni]

But we know about Manifest v3 and FLoC attempt. Almost 80% of internet users use Chromium-based browsers. How much of them do you think will use their ballots? Probably not a big percentage to affect Google. So a little awareness beforehand wouldn't hurt.

[BJWyler]

Awareness that the vast majority of Internet users most likely don't care about. As long as they can still watch their cat videos and nobody threatens to key their SUVs, they are happy as pigs in ... slop. Today's blind tribalism also pretty much ensures what the ballot box will look like. So at the end of the day, it don't mean a whole heck of a lot.

[Mitsukuni]

Yes the problem is two-sided, people's ignorance is the corner stone of any dystopia, so you're right about the ballot box. Maybe that's why we need pitch forks here. Otherwise we'll be pulled into this even if we don't want.

I don't want to see the only option left is "building a new internet with black jack and hookers".