Apple accused of harming browser engine diversity

'Apple uses its power over browsers to strip-mine and sabotage the web,' browser veteran says

Alex Russell, a long-time web browser engineer who has contributed to browser projects at Google and Microsoft, where he currently works, has accused Apple of impeding browser innovation.

Russell alleges in a blog post that Apple has intentionally used its influence in the hardware and mobile OS marketplaces to stifle completion and innovation for browser engines.

"Apple has undermined browser engine diversity. Contrary to claims of Apple partisans, iOS engine restrictions are not preventing a "takeover" by Chromium — at least that's not the primary effect," he wrote.

"Apple uses its power over browsers to strip-mine and sabotage the web, hurting all engine projects and draining the web of future potential."

Apple mandates the usage of its own WebKit rendering engine, the foundation of its Safari mobile browser, by rival mobile browsers supplied via the iOS App Store. As a consequence, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox on iOS are similar to Safari.

Competitors like Microsoft, Mozilla and Google have long complained about this requirement. Their mobile browsers have had to depend on WebKit rather than their own competing engines, making it impossible for them to compete on iOS via product differentiation.

Web developers have also been frustrated by Apple's restriction that their web applications must use only the web application programming interfaces (APIs) that are built into the WebKit browser engine.

Many think that this barrier pushes developers into creating native iOS apps, which Apple controls.

According to Russell, Apple has been preventing rival browsers from introducing their own engines for 14 years and counting, forcing vendors to develop skins over Apple's WebKit binary, which has traditionally lacked feature parity, been slower, and also less secure.

While he acknowledges the calibre of the WebKit engineers, he asserts that Apple has drastically underfunded the browser engine, which is maintained by a "skeleton staff" and is thus unable to compete with Blink and other similar browser engines (based on Chromium).

He claims that as a consequence, third-party developers must spend much more money to create their applications for multiple engines, and the iOS browser industry suffers from a lack of innovation.

"Browsers are both big business and industrial-scale engineering projects. Hundreds of folks are needed to implement and maintain a competitive browser with specialisations in nearly every area of computing. World-class experts in graphics, networking, cryptography, databases, language design, VM implementation, security, usability (particularly usable security), power management, compilers, fonts, high-performance layout, codecs, real-time media, audio and video pipelines, and per-OS specialisation are required," he wrote.

Russell also criticised Apple for being slow to allow users to alter the iOS default browser. Apple took little action until antitrust regulators started prowling in the area.

According to Russell, "a better and brighter" future for the web is achievable, owing to increasing activity by regulators.

"Investigations are now underway worldwide, so if you think Apple shouldn't be afraid of a bit of competition if it will help the web thrive, consider getting involved," he wrote.

"The future isn't written yet, and we can change it for the better."