Summary

  • Google’s proposal, Web Environment Integrity (WEI), aims to send tamper-proof information about a user’s operating system and software to websites.
  • The information sent would help reduce ad fraud and enhance security, but it also raises concerns about user autonomy and control over devices.
  • The authors argue that implementing WEI could lead to websites blocking access for users not on approved systems and browsers.
  • They express worries about companies gaining more control over users’ devices and the potential for abuse.
  • The authors emphasize that users should have the final say over what information their devices share.
  • Remote attestation tools, like WEI, might have their place in specific contexts but should not be implemented on the open web due to potential negative consequences.
  • The authors advocate for preserving user autonomy and the openness of the web, emphasizing that users should be the ultimate decision-makers about their devices.

Joke:

Two pieces of string walk into a bar. The first piece of string asks for a drink. The bartender says, “Get lost. We don’t serve pieces of string.”

The second string ties a knot in his middle and messes up his ends. Then he orders a drink.

The bartender says, “Hey, you aren’t a piece of string, are you?” The piece of string says, “Not me! I’m a frayed knot.”

    • @[email protected]OP
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      -601 year ago

      Hmm… WEI seems to serve to reduce ad frauds, not as a direct attack on blocking ads, except maybe for those ad blockers that attempt to maximize expenses for the advertisers.

      • @[email protected]
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        671 year ago

        Stopping ad blocking is very much in their interest, and this system can very quickly be used to do just that.

        This is Google we’re talking about, their days of not being evil are long gone.

        • @Ddhuud
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          1 year ago

          Like 25 years gone…