Published by NewsPR Today | August 2025
The proposal by Google engineer Mason Freed to stop web browsers from supporting XSLT (Extensiblesheet Language Transformations) on August 20, 2025, caused a great deal of worry among developers and governmental organizations worldwide.
The implications of this proposal, which was formally submitted through Github issue #11523 of the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG), could be significant for government websites that heavily depend on XSLT for styling XML feeds, particularly for displaying RSS content.
What Is XSLT and Why Does It Matter?
A technology called XSLT converts XML data into formats that can be read, such as HTML. Legislative documents, weather reports, and regulatory information are examples of raw XML files that are transformed into easily comprehensible pages that the public can view directly in their web browsers on a number of government websites using XSLT. This procedure is crucial for providing complicated information in an understandable and practical manner, particularly for those who frequently check public data through RSS feeds.
If browsers didn’t support XSLT, these XML feeds wouldn’t bed. Rather, they would show up as unformatted, plain XML code, which would make it hard to navigate and comprehend the data. For citizens, researchers, and journalists who depend on direct RSS feed access to follow government updates and activities, this change would significantly affect accessibility.
Government Agencies Impacted
An in-depth report by developer dmitriid, submitted in WHATWG issue #11582, revealed that at least six major government bodies depend on XSLT for their RSS feed functionality. For example:
- The United States Congress uses client-side XSLT to transform legislative texts into readable formats on websites like congress.gov and govinfo.gov. This includes important documents such as House Resolution 3617 and other bills.
- The National Weather Service relies on XSLT for presenting real-time weather observation data published in XML, which is critical for emergency responders and agricultural planning.
- The European Parliament uses XSLT to display political party information sourced from XML feeds.
- The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register depends on XSLT to show environmental and pollution-related data to the public.
- Canada’s Forest Service presents weather station metadata via XSLT-d RSS feeds to support fire weather monitoring.
- Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration uses XSLT to provide regulatory code definitions essential for pharmaceutical compliance.
Why Governments Rely on Browser XSLT Support
Raw XML data is usually sent straight to browsers via government RSS feeds. Without the need for additional software or plug-ins, XSLT converts this complex XML data into easily navigable content. Users would only see the raw XML code if XSLT were removed, which would limit transparency and make it less accessible to the general public.
For instance, the National Weather Service’s readable feeds are essential for prompt decision-making by emergency management teams, farmers, and transportation authorities throughout the United States. In a similar vein, Canadian organizations use XSLT to make significant environmental data widely available and intelligible.
Browser Vendor Responses and Industry Concerns
In discussions within WHATWG, Mozilla engineer “smaug” showed support for removing XSLT, while representatives from WebKit (Safari) expressed “cautious support” but only if other major browsers followed suit. This indicates a coordinated and cautious approach among browser vendors, reflecting the dominance of a few tech companies controlling core internet infrastructure.
Browser vendors argue that XSLT is outdated “legacy” technology. However, this view conflicts with the continued wide use of XSLT across government workflows and the podcast industry, with hundreds of millions relying daily on RSS feeds that use XML and XSLT for content delivery.
Mozilla engineer Anne van Kesteren proposed adding console warnings about XSLT’s impending removal, suggesting a phased deprecation following patterns similar to other web technologies. This suggests that XSLT removal is foreseen as inevitable, despite objections from many developers and stakeholders.
Technical Alternatives and Their Drawbacks
Mason Freed has suggested a replacement through a WebAssembly-based polyfill, a piece of code that could simulate XSLT functionality. However, this approach depends on running JavaScript, which adds complexity, increases resource use, and goes against the minimalist design principles of RSS—namely, simple, fast, and accessible content delivery.
Polyfills and browser extensions also face limitations. Many users, especially those using government or corporate networks, cannot install extensions. Moreover, some assistive technologies and older browsers may not support these workarounds, which risks excluding users who depend on accessible formats.
Replacing client-side XSLT with server-side XML transformation or dedicated feed readers would increase costs and infrastructure demands for governments. These alternatives could reduce public accessibility and place extra burden on public resources, especially during peak information demand in emergencies or legislative sessions.
The Broader Impact on Public Information and Democracy
XSLT removal can be seen as part of a larger trend reducing direct, decentralized access to government information. The shutdown of Google Reader in 2013, once the most popular RSS aggregator, pushed millions of users toward centralized social media platforms controlled by major tech corporations. Similarly, Firefox’s 2018 reduction of RSS support showed how browser vendors have gradually turned away from XML-based technologies despite user need.
Government websites provide essential transparency by allowing public monitoring of legislative changes, emergency information, and regulatory updates. RSS feedsd using XSLT play a vital role in making this data accessible to non-specialist users without extra apps or paid services.
Developers also pointed out that initial research by Google underestimated government use of XSLT. The revelation came only after community feedback and detailed investigations during the proposal’s public review stage.
International and Regulatory Challenges
Removing XSLT support threatens not just single governments but international cooperation. For example:
- The European Union relies on standardized XML and XSLT formats across its member states to manage political information, environmental data, and regulatory compliance.
- Canada and the United States cooperate on environmental monitoring through shared RSS feedsd with XSLT.
- Australia’s pharmaceutical regulatory body participates in global information exchanges that depend on accessible XML transformations.
Disrupting these systems complicates cross-border coordination already strained by challenges like Brexit and varying technological standards.
Conclusion
The risk of removing browser support of XSLT is potentially a significant threat to government openness, ability of the people to access important information, and to the effective functioning of multiple regulatory and emergency systems around the world. As security and resource issues have been mentioned by advocates, the wider implications of the effect on access to public information and political accountability cannot be neglected.
The popular use of XSLT toXML content internationally emphasises the importance of thoughtful planning and creating a wide range of stakeholder consultation prior to any delistings. These technologies have become crucial to governments, journalists, researchers, and citizens that need to keep important information open, accessible, and easy to follow.
With the debates still underway, this presents a very sensitive bridge between technology modernization and the need to maintain the access and transparency that defines an informed citizenry.
