Published: Thu, November 08, 2018
Electronics | By Kelly Massey

Worldwide web inventor wants new 'contract' to make web safe

Worldwide web inventor wants new 'contract' to make web safe

The inventor of the World Wide Web in 1989 has called on governments, companies and citizens to come up with a "complete contract" to make the Internet safe and accessible for everyone.

Berners-Lee highlighted studies showing that half of the world population will be online by next year - but the rate of take-up was slowing considerably, potentially leaving billions cut off from government services, education and public debate.

Google's head of philanthropy, Jacqueline Fuller, said it was huge milestone for the web to reach 30 next year, adding her company was one of 50 organisations to have already signed up to the pact developed by Berners-Lee's World Wide Web Foundation.

One serves as a reminder that the freedom we enjoy on the Internet today will always be in the crosshairs of those who seek power and profit. This contract hopes to protect people's rights on the internet.

On the other hand, companies will look forward to making the Internet more affordable. They thought 'there'll be good and bad, that is humanity, but if you connect humanity with technology, great things will happen. Governments, companies, and citizens are welcomed to pitch in, and Berners-Lee plans to have the new contract ready by May 2019. Each participant has the responsibility of creating content that is "rich and relevant". SEE: IT pro's guide to GDPR compliance (free PDF) Individual web users are urged to be creators and collaborators on the web, to build strong communities that respect civil discourse and human dignity, and to fight for the web to remain open.Many of these principles seem to run contrary to how the web is now treated. The "Contract for the Web" is a set of principles seemingly created to make the internet a better place amid growing concerns emancipating from a wide array of issues from hate speech to political manipulation.


Supreme Court rejects net neutrality appeal but FCC ruling stands
It actually petitioned the Supreme Court to erase history and wipe out an earlier court decision upholding open internet policies. The Justice Department also has filed suit to block California's state net neutrality law from taking effect in January.

Since its inception, Sir Tim Berner's Lee has been a proponent of the free and open nature of the web, and has often warned against complacency in protecting it.

Like other tech pioneers, Berners-Lee saw the internet as a platform that would open new horizons but he is disappointed with how it has evolved.


"Over 1.2 billion internet users live in countries where net neutrality is not protected, and more than 1.5 billion people live in countries with no comprehensive law on personal data protection, leaving them particularly vulnerable to increasingly common incidents involving breaches of personal data". "Women and girls are much less likely to have access (to the internet)".

"People in the big companies are concerned about truth and democracy".

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