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EFF Resigns From Web Consortium In Wake of EME DRM Standardization (eff.org)

Posted by BeauHD on from the cause-and-effect dept.

New submitter Frobnicator writes: Four years ago, the W3C began standardizing Encrypted Media Extensions, or EME. Several organizations, including the EFF, have argued against DRM within web browsers. Earlier this year, after the W3C leadership officially recommended EME despite failing to reach consensus, the EFF filed the first-ever official appeal that the decision be formally polled for consensus. That appeal has been denied, and for the first time the W3C is endorsing a standard against the consensus of its members.

In response, the EFF published their resignation from the body: "The W3C is a body that ostensibly operates on consensus. Nevertheless, as the coalition in support of a DRM compromise grew and grew -- and the large corporate members continued to reject any meaningful compromise -- the W3C leadership persisted in treating EME as topic that could be decided by one side of the debate. [...] Today, the W3C bequeaths an legally unauditable attack-surface to browsers used by billions of people. Effective today, EFF is resigning from the W3C." Jeff Jaffe, CEO of W3C said: "I know from my conversations that many people are not satisfied with the result. EME proponents wanted a faster decision with less drama. EME critics want a protective covenant. And there is reason to respect those who want a better result. But my personal reflection is that we took the appropriate time to have a respectful debate about a complex set of issues and provide a result that will improve the web for its users. My main hope, though, is that whatever point-of-view people have on the EME covenant issue, that they recognize the value of the W3C community and process in arriving at a decision for an inherently contentious issue. We are in our best light when we are facilitating the debate on important issues that face the web."

6 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. The day the music died.... by postbigbang · · Score: 5, Insightful

    W3C sells out, leaves its somewhat democratic origins, succumbs to the payola, jumps the shark. Carry on, EFF. Someone has to.

    --
    ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    1. Re:The day the music died.... by llamalad · · Score: 5, Informative

      Why not hop over to: https://supporters.eff.org/don...

      and sing up to donate a couple bucks a month to the EFF?

      I did a short while ago to give them my support in light of https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... and am very happy that I did.

      They're fighting the good fight.

    2. Re:The day the music died.... by sabri · · Score: 5, Insightful

      this is not the same as when the corporate 'leaders' left trump's stupid panel thing, forcing it to dissolve itself. w3c isn't going anywhere.

      On the contrary. The w3c is making itself irrelevant by forcing issues. Their own charter states:

      Consensus is a core value of W3C

      Well, guess what. They just threw their own core value away.

      --
      I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
    3. Re:The day the music died.... by JohnFen · · Score: 5, Insightful

      and them bailing on the organization leaves the people with one less voice on it.

      There's no point in having a voice when that voice is just going to be ignored. In fact, it can be harmful in the big picture if your presence serves to legitimize the organization.

      Over the past few years the W3C has made its priority clear: it exists to further corporate goals. The EFF being part of that only serves to put a veneer over that that fact.

      I applaud the EFF for doing as they've done.

  2. Re:I'm confused by cfalcon · · Score: 5, Informative

    60% is a majority. It's hard to call it a consensus, especially when those opposed are VERY opposed. If you are disregarding the degree of that opposition- not looking at the general opinion, but the most common one- then it's a majority decision, not a consensus.

  3. Re:You can't win all the time. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Insightful

    DRM isn't an extreme feature,

    Strongly disagree, I almost stopped reading your comment at this point.

    Now other than getting up an leaving in a huff because they didn't get their way, they should be asking themselves, what other alternatives to DRM is there that can address the concerns of the 58% who approved of it.

    There is no alternative, because of how extreme and perverse DRM is. It's like looking for a compromise between a hippie and an ISIS terrorist. Nothing would come remotely close to satisfying both at the same time.

    Since the EFF had no say in a forum that supposedly only makes consensus-based decisions, what's the point of them staying in the W3C other than to have their membership misconstrued as consent?

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel