Web developers slam Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages internet takeover

Technologists and publishers lash out at Google for trying to take control of the web

Web developers have penned an open letter to internet behemoth Google, attacking the company over what they claim is an attempt to take control of the internet.

More than 600 technologists have signed the letter, arguing that Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) initiative amounts to a bid to put large swathes of the internet onto Google's own domains. AMP is a project intended to improve web users' browsing experiences.

Technology experts, internet freedom specialists and publishers, though, are concerned that Google is using the tool to extend its dominance even further over the internet.

AMP keeps users within Google's domain and diverts traffic away from other websites for the benefit of Google

"We are a community of individuals who have a significant interest in the development and health of the World Wide Web ("the Web"), and we are deeply concerned about Accelerated Mobile Pages," they write.

The signatories claim that Google is stealing internet users from other websites: "In fact, AMP keeps users within Google's domain and diverts traffic away from other websites for the benefit of Google," they said.

"At a scale of billions of users, this has the effect of further reinforcing Google's dominance of the Web. We acknowledge the problem of Web pages being slow to load, relative to alternative, proprietary technologies such as Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News."

According to the letter, news publishers "have long faced difficult choices and poor incentives", which has led to "bad decisions and compromises". As a result, users get terrible browsing experiences.

The authors believe that it's the job of Google to fix this problem, but the company has allegedly "chosen to create a premium position at the top of their search results".

They talk about two aspects of the AMP that are causing massive problems for publishers and internet users, but are helping Google to reinforce itself as the "de facto standard platform for content".

"Content that opts in to AMP and the associated hosting within Google's domain is granted preferential search promotion, including (for news articles) a position above all other results," they said, referring to the first aspect.

The second, they said, is: "When a user navigates from Google to a piece of content Google has recommended, they are, unwittingly, remaining within Google's ecosystem."

"We don't want to stop Google's development of AMP, and these changes do not require that. We also applaud search engines that give ranking preference to fast-loading pages," added the letter.

"AMP can remain one of a range of technologies that give publishers high quality options for delivering Web pages quickly and making users happy.

"However, publishers should not be compelled by Google's search dominance to put their content under a Google umbrella. The Web is not Google, and should not be just Google."