[Request from Microsoft Edge] Can we eliminate the `androidx.webkit:webkit` dependency?

[wutiantong]

Hi, I’m an engineer on the Microsoft Edge team. The androidx.webkit:webkit dependency, which was introduced in #2769 about three months ago, has caused a duplicate class definition error for us while integrating a newer version of OneAuth.

Edge is derived from Chromium, and it happens to already include some code under the org.chromium.support_lib_boundary package. The same package also exists in androidx.webkit, which results in duplicate class definitions when both are present. The below screenshot is the detailed explanation from Copilot:

I understand that androidx.webkit is intended as an alternative to android.webkit to provide backward compatibility. In this context, is the backward compatibility necessary for us?