[MAINT] - Switch from Google Fonts API to Bunny Fonts

[bskinn]

What site is this for?

Quansight Consulting, Quansight Labs

Expected behavior

No response

Actual behavior

Both sites are currently using the Google Fonts API directly.

Per one of Michael Kennedy's extras on Python Bytes #314, apparently wiring into Google Fonts exposes site visitors to a significant amount of Google tracking, which appears to have GDPR implications.

Bunny Fonts is a privacy-first, drop-in replacement for the Google Fonts API.

Perhaps we should consider switching?

I've already tested the Bunny Fonts API on a local preview, and it does seem to be truly drop-in: one URL change for Consulting, and one for Labs.

Pinging @trallard for comment, in particular.

How to Reproduce the problem?

No response

Anything else?

No response

[trallard]

There are two alternatives as I see it:

1. Switch to a privacy-preserving fonts API
2. Download the woff font and serve this as static assets from our website rather than through an API.
   Either would be fine, and I am +1 on dropping Google fonts to align with our overall mission

[bskinn]

Looked into this a bit -- When you download Inter, it does not offer a .woff, but instead a series of .ttfs:

This is probably still a workable alternative for (2); but, I would think would require some work on the stylesheets to change from the numerical selectors for font weight to these descriptive selectors (Light, Medium, Bold, etc.). Once done, though, it should be a durable solution.

On the other hand, switching the API per (1) will be a simpler change. However, we would then be relying on that API remaining available going forward, as well as opening ourselves to possible extra maintenance burden if that API changes more rapidly than Google's does.

[gabalafou]

In Slack on October 30, Brian said:

We are using Google Fonts on the Labs site; there's an open issue contemplating moving to a more privacy-focused alternative (see #615). Perhaps hitting that Fonts API is seeding the Labs posts more strongly into Google's systems?
Something to consider while weighing pros/cons of #615.