Tim Berners-Lee calls for online Magna Carta as web turns 25
Inventor of the World Wide Web says it's time to create an online bill of rights to defend freedom and privacy
SIR Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, has called for the creation of an online bill of rights similar to the Magna Carta.
Berners-Lee said that a system to guarantee the rights of web users was needed to maintain the independence and integrity of the World Wide Web, The Guardian reports.
On the 25th anniversary of the day he drafted an outline of what would become the web – a collection of online documents accessible from anywhere in the world – Berners-Lee said: "We need a global constitution, a bill of rights."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The computer scientist has been a vocal critic of online surveillance since Edward Snowdon, a former NSA contractor, leaked documents that detail how the US and British governments gather data on web users worldwide.
"It's time for us to make a big communal decision," Berners-Lee told the BBC. "In front of us are two roads - which way are we going to go? Are we going to continue on the road and just allow the governments to do more and more and more control - more and more surveillance? Or are we going to set up a bunch of values? Are we going to set up something like a Magna Carta for the World Wide Web?"
Berners-Lee has previously spoken in defence of the actions of Edward Snowdon, saying that his decision to turn whistleblower was "in the public interest". He has also been an outspoken critic of the "growing tide of surveillance and censorship" in many parts of the world.
The constitution on internet rights and freedoms should also consider issues surrounding copyright laws around the world and how ethics work online. Berners-Lee's plan for an online bill of rights will be incorporated into a new campaign called "Web We Want" that aims to build an international review of internet conventions.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
According to the plan, issues of privacy, free speech and "responsible anonymity" should all be considered, but a degree of regional and cultural variation must be taken into account. Berners-Lee said that while rules on internet and web use may not necessarily be identical worldwide, it is important to create a shared set of international values and standards.
He said: "The key thing is getting people to fight for the web and to see the harm that a fractured web would bring. Like any human system, the web needs policing and of course we need national laws, but we must not turn the network into a series of national silos."
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago