Humanity needs a social contract, which will protect citizens from the abuses of the Internet, such as the violation of personal data, the spread of false news and prejudice against minorities, political manipulation, cybercrime and other online threats that are constantly increasing.
Sir Tim Berners Lee suggested this at the international Web Summit conference in Lisbon. He called on governments, and technology companies to support his initiative for a “Web Contract” to better protect rights on the Internet.
The 63-year-old is aiming to publish the Contract in May 2019.
The document, signed by more than 50 organizations, was posted on the website of the World Wide Web Foundation.
“Humanity, interconnected by technology on the Web, operates in a dystopian way. We have online abuses, bias, polarization, fake news, there are so many things that go wrong. It is vital that we sign a contract to make the Web serve humanity, science, knowledge and democracy,” he said, according to Agence France-Presse.
“We have lost control of our personal data and this data is being used as a weapon against us. Malicious actors manipulate the power to access news and information from around the world. Governments are increasingly censoring online information or shutting down the Internet altogether,” he added.
He commits governments everywhere to offer their citizens Internet access, respect on-line privacy and freedoms of their users.
Technology companies are understanding the need to provide an affordable and accessible internet for everyone, and to maintain their users’ privacy and data. They’re also developing technologies that make sure the internet is a public good that puts people first.
It will be difficult to judge how successful the contract will be. He hopes for it to influence international events. Big companies such as Facebook and Google, as well as the French government signed the online ‘Grand Charter’.
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Author: PC-GR
The World of Technology
