FSF Criticizes Google for Abandoning JPEG-XL in Chrome

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has criticized Google's decision to deprecate the JPEG-XL image format in favor of its own AVIF format, arguing that it highlights the search giant's control over web standards. While Google cited a lack of interest from the "entire ecosystem" as the reason for the move, the FSF argued that Google's overwhelming power means it is effectively asking itself what it wants. The FSF called on users to support free browsers that choose to support JPEG-XL and similar formats, and to explore networks beyond the web like Gemini.