Launching the W3C Community Group for Browser Data Portability
Back in April, I wrote about the data portability patchwork that web browser users have to navigate when they switch to a new browser. While far from seamless, web browsers offer a compelling case study: when portability works, it empowers user choice and fosters dynamic competition.
Following that post, I continued further down the rabbit hole. I spoke with experts across the ecosystem to test a simple ambition: could we bring the sector together to define what “good” actually looks like for the user. The feedback has been remarkably consistent and supportive:
“Don’t reinvent the wheel – this is precisely what the W3C is there for.”
As someone with a policy background rather than a technical one, I’ll admit the prospect of engaging the W3C is a little daunting. I have worried that I wouldn’t be welcomed by the community as I don’t speak Python or Java, and that I could become bogged down by the institutional processes. Neither of these worries were well founded (so far at least!).
With thanks to friends from the web community that have been supporting me – I won’t name them but they know who they are – I’ve officially submitted a proposal to establish the first W3C Community Group for Browser Data Portability.
My primary goal for the group is to build consensus among browser implementers on what a high-quality data transfer experience looks like for users. Ultimately, we aim to publish a W3C Community Group Report establishing shared principles for import and export functionality, leading to more consistent and reliable outcomes for users across different devices, platforms, and browsers.
A principles-based, non-normative approach will be essential for this work. It makes no sense for me to barge into the W3C community and start dictating the precise way that all browsers should implement their user switching and data transfer journeys. Not least because this is one of the key areas that are sovereign to browsers. But also, critically, there is just too much water under the bridge, with individual product design tied to legacy architecture, and in some cases, shaped by specific regulatory obligations.
By building consensus on the what, we preserve the space browser implementers need to solve the how for their specific platforms and user bases.
If you are a browser implementer, a W3C community member, or a policy professional interested in data portability, we want your input. Check out the Community Group proposal, join the conversation, and help shape what comes next.
See you there!