Editing GNOME Web (section)

=== Web standards support ===
The underlying [[WebKit]] browser engine provides support for [[HTML 4]], [[XHTML]], [[CSS]] 1 and 2, most of [[HTML 5]] and CSS 3,<ref name="webkit-secsupport" /> and a [[Web Inspector]] (web development debugging tool).<ref name="webinspector" />

[[Encrypted Media Extensions]] support is not a goal, as the standard does not specify a Content Decryption Module to use, all available modules are proprietary even if licensing is possible, and the system imposes [[digital rights management]] that hides what the user's computer is doing to make copying "premium content" difficult. However, [[Media Source Extensions]] is supported, as [[YouTube]] began to require this technology in November 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WebKitGTK+ 2.22.2 and 2.22.3, Media Source Extensions, and YouTube – Michael Catanzaro|date=November 2, 2018 |url=https://blogs.gnome.org/mcatanzaro/2018/11/02/webkitgtk-2-22-2-and-2-22-3-media-source-extensions-and-youtube/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-26|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801052541/https://blogs.gnome.org/mcatanzaro/2018/11/02/webkitgtk-2-22-2-and-2-22-3-media-source-extensions-and-youtube/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Apple Inc.|Apple]], which is the primary corporate backer of WebKit, rejected at least 16 web APIs because they could be used in a [[device fingerprinting|fingerprinting]] attack to help personally identify users and track them, while providing limited or no benefit to the user.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cimpanu|first=Catalin|title=Apple declined to implement 16 Web APIs in Safari due to privacy concerns|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-declined-to-implement-16-web-apis-in-safari-due-to-privacy-concerns/|access-date=2020-06-29|website=ZDNet|language=en|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629102118/https://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-declined-to-implement-16-web-apis-in-safari-due-to-privacy-concerns/|url-status=live}}</ref> As [[HTML5test]] checks for most of these APIs, it artificially lowers WebKit's "score" in points (as does lack of DRM support).{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Web once supported [[NPAPI]] plug-ins, such as [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and [[Adobe Flash]], but support was removed in GNOME 3.34.<ref name="auto2"/> In the modern web platform, these have fallen out of favor and support has been removed from all major browsers. Flash has been deprecated by Adobe itself.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/25/get-ready-to-say-goodbye-to-flash-in-2020/|title=Get ready to finally say goodbye to Flash — in 2020|date=July 25, 2017}}</ref> Flash had gained infamy throughout the years for usability and stability issues, incessant security vulnerabilities,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list.php?vendor_id=53&product_id=6761|title=Adobe Flash Player : List of security vulnerabilities|website=www.cvedetails.com|access-date=September 29, 2019|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801080330/https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list.php?vendor_id=53&product_id=6761|url-status=live}}</ref> its proprietary nature, its ability to let sites deploy particularly obnoxious web ads,<ref name=flash-chrome-block /> and Adobe's poor and inconsistent Linux support.<ref name=flash-linux-support /> Many of these issues were raised by [[Steve Jobs]], then CEO of Apple, in his essay [[Thoughts on Flash]].<ref name=flash-jobs />