But who defines HTML 5?

Nobody seemed to be worried so far, but the definition of HTML 5 that is intended to be the format of billions of Web pages in coming years, is conducted and decided by a single person!

It is a fact that many contributors give their opinion on the evolution of the specification on the HTML Working Group forum of the W3C (as I do myself for XMLHttpRequest).
But the final decision when it is time for the choice is nevertheless made by the author alone.

Contestation

Finally, a webmaster has reacted and has launched an SOS, with a comic of which I have made some captures...

Ian Hickson:

Hey, wait! Pay no attention to the multi-billions dollar Internet corporation behind the curtain. It's me Ian Hickson! I am my own man.

This is followed by some questions of Web experts and then comes the conclusion, by Google:

Irrelevant. We'll tell you how HTML 5 is going to be, and you will like it.

Ian Hickson is the sole author of the specification and is also employed by Google.

According to the article that puts him in case, he rejects any consensus, denies the reality of issues and about accessibility, he faces data based on the Google's index to expert advices.

The author of the drawing denounces the omnipresence of Google behind the author, Google itself being ubiquitous on the Web. And especially the fact that the data on which he relies are known by them only and are not public.

But the challenge is apparently born of a conflict of opinion about the accessibility, that is only a small part of HTML 5 (the definition of tags being the essential part).

Influence of browsers

Publishers of browsers (Google, Mozilla, Apple, Opera) have forced W3C to leave indefinite the video in format the standard. Indeed, they can not reach agreement on the recommended formats.
Evidence that the definition of the standard is not the act of just one person.

But what is funny is that the tag video has now a free codec and accessible on any browser directly or through plugin, WebM. And this  codec is provided for free by Google!

Conclusion

The picture is a little darker than the reality. The development of the standard is done in cooperation with publishers of browsers including Mozilla, without which it would have no interest and no substance.