Google opens Chrome open-source project to more companies

Another external developer is in a leading position in the Chromium project; Microsoft is one of the main allies

O Google is opening the project Chromium – Chrome browser base – for more technology companies. Open source software is already used by major competitors, such as Microsoft, Samsung and Brave. But Alphabet’s subsidiary wants to further expand control to “improve web browsing in the future”.

Google Chrome (Image: Nathana Rebouças / Unsplash)

In March, Google admitted that developer Manuel Rego Casanovas, of the company Igalia, held a leadership role in the Chromium project. The process reinforces the change from the previous dynamic, in which only Google engineers approved or disapproved the implementation of new features. Casanovas is the third external leader to join the team, and the first in a new nomination system.

According to Alex Russell, a senior developer who heads Chrome’s web standards group, the idea is for more professionals outside of Google to join the initiative next year.

In addition to having external participation in the team, the project also accepts resources from other companies, even though Google chooses not to add them to Chrome. In this way, the technology giant intends to guarantee the vision of participation that allows other developers to achieve specific goals, according to the goals of their original companies.

Chromium

Chromium (Image: Disclosure / Google)

It is worth mentioning that not all web resources need to be installed in software that operates on the Chromium base – Brave CEO Brendan Eich says that the browser disables features when it considers them to be non-standard or believes that they may pose risks users’ privacy.

During the conference BlinkOn held earlier this week, Chrome engineer Danyao Wang drew attention to the benefits of expanding Chromium’s openness:

It is really cool to see so many people and groups with different priorities coming together and finding solutions that not only meet their individual agendas, but also promote the common goal of improving the web.

Open source and security

Google’s initiatives are opposed to the vision of another big company in the industry – Apple. While the owner of Chrome expands the borders to reach more companies and build new features, Apple maintains stricter limits on its apps saying it fears for their security.

In response, Google argues that due to sandbox technology, web apps are more secure than native apps, and that limiting the advanced interactivity of native apps hurts the web in the long run.

The main companies that contribute to Chromium are Microsoft, Intel, Igalia, Samsung, Opera and LG. Google says that among hundreds of new collaborators who arrived on the platform, 90 came from Google, and many more came from outside. The owner of Edge, who joined the project in December 2018, corresponds to 35% of non-Google contributors in 2020 – and its developers were responsible for 4,443 changes to the project.

With information: CNET

Source: Google opens Chrome open-source project to more companies