[Webkit-unassigned] [Bug 240025] New: URL Scheme for opening links in Default Browser

[bugzilla-daemon at webkit.org]

https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=240025

            Bug ID: 240025
           Summary: URL Scheme for opening links in Default Browser
           Product: WebKit
           Version: Safari 15
          Hardware: iPhone / iPad
                OS: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: Major
          Priority: P2
         Component: New Bugs
          Assignee: webkit-unassigned at lists.webkit.org
          Reporter: mail at milesgreen.net

Currently there is no way for a website that has been loaded into a WebView to target links to open in the user's Default Browser rather than the current WebView.

Often, native apps create embedded In-App Browser experience leveraging the WKWebView component, even for viewing shared links to external third-party websites. For example, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc, all do this.

Opening external websites in an embedded WebView could be considered a UX Dark Design Pattern - one that is constructed to, at best, inflate the containing app's engagement metrics, and at worst, to enable the containing app to spy on and extract data from the User's activity on third-party websites. User's are not aware of the potential for their activity to be tracked. Also, WebViews provide a diminished full browsing experience which is, again, not in the User's best interests. 

On iOS, app developers have the option of using the SFSafariViewController component (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/safariservices/sfsafariviewcontroller) to create a secure and full-featured In-App browser experience. 

However, if app developers are going to use WKWebView to load third-party websites, then those websites should have the ability to detect and break out of the containing WebView.

One potential solution would be to have a URL scheme for opening URLs directly into Safari browser proper, or better still, open URLs into the User's chosen Default Browser with a browser-agnostic scheme.

-- 
You are receiving this mail because:
You are the assignee for the bug.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-unassigned/attachments/20220503/8084cf1d/attachment-0001.htm>