Protocol Change

FTP removed from modern browsers AI-researched

Dependency: FTP protocol in browsers

Chrome removed FTP support (Chrome 88, January 2021) and Firefox followed (Firefox 90, July 2021), breaking ftp:// links used for distributing assets and archival materials referenced by older net artworks.

Fixes & Mitigations

  • Migration: Replace ftp:// URLs with https:// mirrors; provide checksums.
  • Archive: Capture FTP-hosted materials into WARC or institutional repositories.

Browsers removed built-in FTP clients, citing lack of encryption support, low usage, and better external clients. The practical effect: ftp:// URLs no longer resolve in the default browsing workflow.

Notes

FTP removal is a “small” extinction example: it rarely kills the core logic, but it kills access paths that artworks depended on (especially for installation instructions and downloadable components).

Links