Tom Berners-Lee is famously credited with being the inventor of the World Wide Web (www) in 1989.
Thirty years later, he has watched his invention descend into a tool manipulated by criminals and governments for less than savoury practices.
Berners-Lee has proposed a quote, “roadmap to build a better web”, which proposes how to halt abuse of the internet by governments, companies and individuals.
The proposal addresses common web-related issues such as misinformation, data surveillance and censorship.
In a statement released by the WWW Foundation, Berners-Lee is quoted, “If we don’t act now — and act together — to prevent the web being misused by those who want to exploit, divide and undermine, we are at risk of squandering its potential for good.”
The plan has been backed by more than 150 organisations, among them tech giants like Google, Facebook and Microsoft; special interest groups such as Reporters without Borders, and the governments of France and Germany.
“I will stand up for the preservation of the free internet that we have grown to know and love in recent decades,” German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said in a statement released ahead of the UN Internet Governance Forum, being held this week in Berlin, where Berners-Lee is scheduled to speak.
The Contract for the Web was created by Berners-Lee’s World Wide Web Foundation in cooperation with representatives from governments, companies and civil society to “keep knowledge freely available,” while strengthening laws, regulations and companies “to ensure pursuit of profit is not at the expense of human rights and democracy.”
It proposes frameworks for national laws that would protect online privacy and personal data.
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The WWW Foundation criticizes current laws and institutions that it says fall short of protecting citizens and preventing the abuse of the technology in society, business and politics.
Google and Facebook have received lots of heat in the past regarding their collection, usage and sale of user data. Facebook’s sensation-rewarding algorithms have been blamed for spreading misinformation and violating user data privacy.
The companies’ support of Berners-Lee’s plan undoubtedly raised eyebrows.
This past week, Amnesty International said the companies’ business models were a “threat to human rights.”
Berners-Lee defended their inclusion stating, “Having them in the room is really important,” Berners-Lee said. “We feel that companies and governments deserve equal seats at the table.”
