World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee released an ambitious rule book for online governance B次元官网网址� a bill of rights and obligations for the internet B次元官网网址� designed to counteract the growing prevalence of such anti-democratic poisons as misinformation, mass surveillance and censorship.
The product of a yearB次元官网网址檚 work by the World Wide Web Foundation where Berners-Lee is a founding director, the B次元官网网址� Contract for the Web B次元官网网址� seeks commitments from governments and industry to make and keep knowledge freely available B次元官网网址� a digital policy agenda true to the design vision of the 30-year-old web.
The contract is non-binding, however. And funders and partners in the endeavour include Google and Facebook, whose data-collecting business models and sensation-rewarding algorithms have been blamed for exacerbating online toxicity.
B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 had a fairly complex, fairly complete plan of action for the web going forward,B次元官网网址� Berners-Lee said in an interview. B次元官网网址淭his is the first time weB次元官网网址檝e had a rule book in which responsibility is being shared.B次元官网网址�
For instance, the contract proposes a framework for protecting online privacy and personal data with clearly defined national laws that give individuals greater control over the data collected about them. Independent, well-resourced regulators would offer the public effective means for redress. Current laws and institutions donB次元官网网址檛 measure up to that standard.
Amnesty International just released a report charging that Google and FacebookB次元官网网址檚 business models are predicated on the abuse of human rights.
Berners-Lee nevertheless says that B次元官网网址渉aving them in the room is really important.B次元官网网址� He said both companies had approached the foundation seeking participation.
B次元官网网址淲e feel that companies and governments deserve equal seats at the table and understanding where theyB次元官网网址檙e coming from is equally valuable,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭o have this conversation around a table without the tech companies, it just wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have the clout and we wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have ended up with the insights.B次元官网网址�
The non-profit foundationB次元官网网址檚 top donors include the Swedish, Canadian and U.S. governments and the Ford and Omidyar foundations.
One of its biggest challenges is the growing balkanization of the internet, with national governments led by China, Russia and Iran exerting increasing technical control over their domestic networks, tightening censorship and surveillance.
B次元官网网址淭he trend for balkanization is really worrying and itB次元官网网址檚 extreme at the moment in Iran,B次元官网网址� said Berners-Lee. A strong government exhibits tolerance, the computer scientist added, for B次元官网网址渙ther voices, opposition voices, foreign voices to be heard by its citizens.B次元官网网址�
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So how to prevent governments from restricting internet access at their borders?
One approach, said Berners-Lee, could be financial pressure. Multinational lenders could condition lower interest rates, for example, on a nationB次元官网网址檚 willingness to let information flow freely on its domestic network.
Frank Bajak, The Associated Press
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