The inventor of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has called on governments and firms to protect the internet. His global action plan is designed to save it from political manipulation, privacy violations, fake news, and other malign forces that threaten to nose-dive the world into a “digital dystopia.” This “Contract for the Web” requires endorsement from companies, individuals, and governments. They all must commit to safeguard the web from abuse and ensure it benefits humanity, as intended.
The inventor of the web, Tim Berners-Lee, told The Guardian:
I think people’s fear of bad things happening on the internet is becoming, justifiably, greater and greater. If we leave the web as it is, there’s a very large number of things that will go wrong. We could end up with a digital dystopia if we don’t turn things around. It’s not that we need a 10-year plan for the web, we need to turn the web around now.
Eighty organizations helped put together the Contract for the Web, which took over a year, and then it was published by Berners-Lee’s Web Foundation. The document outlines nine fundamental principles to protect the web. It has the backing of over 150 well-known organizations, such as Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Microsoft, as well as digital rights groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
If a company or organization backs the contract, it means they are required to show that they are working on solutions to the tougher problems and implementing the principles outlined. If they fail to do so, they will face removal from the list of endorsers. The principles detailed in the contract call for governments to do everything within their power to ensure that anyone who wants to connect to the web can – and that everyone who does connect will have their privacy respected. For example, individuals should have the right to withdraw or object from having personal data processed.
Some other principles regarding company obligations state that internet access should be affordable and that companies need to develop services for people who speak minority languages or for those with disabilities. Another requirement to help build trust between people and companies requires privacy settings to be simplified. People should be able to access a control panel where they can manage their data and privacy options all in one place.
On the level of the individual, the principles oblige people to create rich and relevant content to bring value to the information on the web. The web should be a robust online community where everyone is welcome and feels safe.
Berners-Lee said:
The forces taking the web in the wrong direction have always been very strong. Whether you’re a company or a government, controlling the web is a way to make huge profits or a way of ensuring you remain in power. The people are arguably the most important part of this because it’s only the people who will be motivated to hold the other two to account.
The Web Foundation’s director of policy, Emily Sharpe, added:
The web’s power to be a force for good is under threat and people are crying out for change. We are determined to shape that debate using the framework that the Contract sets out. Ultimately, we need a global movement for the web like we now have for the environment, so that governments and companies are far more responsive to citizens than they are today. The contract lays the foundations for that movement.
Everyone – from individuals to mega-corporations – has a part to play in the plan to make sure the future of the web is a positive one. We are at a fork in the road now, and it can either get worse or get better. This contract is to ensure it gets better.
