Inventor of World Wide Web says it must change
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The reading
The World Wide Web is now thirty years old. Its inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has spoken about his creation on its 30th anniversary. He said he was worried about how people are using the Internet and its two billion websites today. He also said he is concerned about the future of the Web. He wrote a letter saying he knew many people felt unsure about whether the Web was "a force for good". He believes it can be a force for good and can empower billions of people. He wrote that he believed governments and companies must work together to build a better Internet. He said: "If we give up on building a better Web now, then the Web will not have failed us. We will have failed the Web."
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Sir Tim had three main concerns about the World Wide Web. The first was criminal behavior, like state-sponsored hacking and online harassment. He described it as a "mirror of humanity" where "you will see good and bad". He said governments must pass laws to keep people safe. A second thing that worried Berners-Lee is how social media is used to spread misinformation. The past few years have seen a rise in fake news. In particular, how people were tricked during the 2016 US presidential election and the UK Brexit vote. Berners-Lee is also worried about people's privacy and personal information. He stressed the importance of fighting for a better and safer Web and keeping it free for everyone to use.
Sources:
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/world-wide-web-turns-30-designer-laments-dark-side-190312030516811.html
- https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/11/tim-berners-lee-the-web-is-dysfunctional-with-perverse-incentives.html
- https://www.apnews.com/794576f547f14d1f92b44c290a0ca2af
