Today, Peakhour disabled JPEG-XL transformations on our image optimisation service. We had enabled them because the technical case looked strong, but that work came to an abrupt stop when Google announced it was deprecating JPEG-XL in Chrome.
JPEG-XL (JXL) was widely treated as a serious next-generation image format. It was royalty-free, performed better than JPEG, and had only recently become practical to target, with the bitstream frozen in late 2020. Google then removed support for the young format in Chrome 110, a decision that mattered because of Chrome's reach.
The Rise and Fall of JXL
The decision to phase out JXL was hard to reconcile with the state of the format. As an image optimisation service focused on transparent image optimisation, we had been following JXL closely and had seen substantial improvements and interest. Seeing it shelved so soon was frustrating, especially since it was largely based on Google's own PIK proposal.
The rationale provided by Google was that there wasn't "enough interest from the entire ecosystem" and the format did not bring "sufficient incremental benefits." That justification was thin. JXL was still experimental, so broad adoption was always going to take time. Google also did not provide direct comparisons with existing formats that proved JXL lacked incremental benefits.
Google's move shows how much control Chrome gives it over web standards, with other browsers often left to follow. That matters. By deciding what features are included or omitted in Chrome, Google shapes the web, often in line with its own strategic interests. The deprecation of JXL in favour of its own patented AVIF format is one example.
A Resounding Response From the Community
The community response was unusually strong. The issue surrounding JXL's removal became the second most "starred" issue in the history of the Chromium project. Developers raised clear concerns about Google disregarding community feedback while exercising heavy influence over web standards. Google's interpretation of "ecosystem interest" may be more self-referential than it appears.
This incident, like many before it, shows the control Google exercises over the web and the impact of its decisions on the internet ecosystem. Our removal of JXL transformations from Peakhour's services is a reluctant acceptance of that reality.
The Way Forward
Google's decision may have sounded the death knell for JXL, but it does not end work on better image formats. We remain committed to optimising the digital experience for our customers and will continue to support formats that improve performance and user experience.
This incident also shows why alternatives matter when one vendor has outsized influence. Browsers like GNU IceCat, which plan to support JXL and similar formats, keep pressure on the dominant path, and networks beyond the web like Gemini remind us that the web is not a monopoly.
This is our message to the "big G": we might be smaller, but we won't be bossed around. The internet is broad enough for more than one path.
