Why I Gave the World Wide Web Away for Free By Tim Berners-Lee Overview Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, reflects on his original vision and the decision to make the web freely available to all. He discusses how the web was intended as a platform for sharing and collaboration without exploitation and highlights current challenges where parts of the web diverge from this ideal. Berners-Lee advocates for reclaiming user control over personal data and calls for urgent governance of emerging technologies like AI. --- Key Points Origin of the Web At age 34, Berners-Lee conceived the World Wide Web, combining the internet with hypertext to create linked documents. He pitched the idea at CERN, overcoming initial skepticism. The web was designed as a universal, free platform to empower creativity and collaboration worldwide. In 1993, CERN donated the intellectual property of the web to the public domain, making it free for everyone. Current Challenges The web is no longer entirely free; large platforms exploit users' private data for profit, often sharing it with commercial brokers or governments without consent. Algorithms on social media are addictive and harm mental health, especially among teenagers. Users have become products, with their data sold and used to target them with potentially harmful content, misinformation, and divisive advertising. Vision for Data Ownership Berners-Lee promotes Solid, an open-source standard developed at MIT, that allows users to retain ownership and control of their data. Instead of data being scattered across siloed platforms, Solid enables users to store data in one place and selectively share it. Individuals should be empowered by their data, including their actions, preferences, and biological information collected from devices like smartwatches. Governance and AI The transition from Web 1.0 to social media-driven Web 2.0 was a wrong turn regarding privacy and control. AI development presents a new crossroads, necessitating careful governance to ensure AI benefits society rather than harms it. Berners-Lee previously proposed "Charlie," an AI that works for the user under legal and ethical constraints, akin to professionals like doctors or lawyers. Governments and policymakers must act proactively rather than reactively to regulate AI and digital technologies. The Need for International Collaboration Berners-Lee emphasizes the importance of learning from the collaboration model of CERN, which was established post-WWII as a not-for-profit international organization. He suggests a similar Cern-like body is necessary to drive not-for-profit international AI research and governance. The goal is to restore the web as a platform for creativity, collaboration, and compassion, empowering individuals globally. --- Final Thoughts The decision to give the web away for free was based on making it universally useful and accessible. Regulation and global governance of internet technologies are feasible but require political will. There is still time to "take the web back," re-establishing the web as a free, collaborative, and empowering resource. --- About the Author Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web and author of This Is for Everyone (Macmillan). --- Further Reading The Innovators by Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster) The Web We Weave by Jeff Jarvis (Basic) The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks by Chris Stokel-Walker (Michael O’Mara) --- Illustration credit: Elia Barbieri/The Guardian