In a revealing 2018 interview, Tim Berners-Lee, the visionary inventor of the World Wide Web, voiced his deep “devastation” over the ways his creation had been misused and centralized. The interview, profiled by Katrina Brooker for Vanity Fair, highlighted Berners-Lee’s original hope for a decentralized and democratizing internet, a stark contrast to the reality dominated by a handful of powerful corporations and government agencies.
“He invented one of the most important machines in the world since the Gutenberg Bible, and he gave it away for free”.
She emphasized his brilliance and his knack for connecting disparate ideas, often explaining his vision through impromptu whiteboard sketches.
Berners-Lee’s initial goal for the web was to level the playing field, enabling new businesses and disrupting established industries. He envisioned a space where those previously excluded could participate in the economy, politics, and global discourse. While some of this promise came to fruition, the unintended consequences weighed heavily on him.
In 2018, Berners-Lee expressed concern over the concentration of power in the hands of companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon. While he had always been aware of the potential for misuse, the speed and scale of the web’s negative impact, from privacy breaches to the spread of misinformation, had become alarmingly clear.
“We collectively all allowed the Internet to become what it is today”.
Berners-Lee acknowledged that the global community had, perhaps unwittingly, contributed to the current state of affairs.
Revisiting 2018: Tim Berners-Lee’s “Devastation” Over Data Control and His Decentralization Vision
Brooker emphasized the collective responsibility.
“There is a responsibility that all of us have to accept that every time we, you know, click on ‘I agree’… we’re agreeing to share enormous amounts of information about ourselves”.
As technology advances, the ability of companies to synthesize and use this data becomes increasingly concerning.
Berners-Lee himself found this trend alarming. He saw the web being used “to intimidate people, to manipulate… democratic elections”, and for companies to prioritize profit over individual well-being.
Solid: Berners-Lee’s Response
In 2018, Berners-Lee was actively working on Solid, a platform aimed at flipping the script on data ownership. The idea was simple: users should own their data, from DNA analysis to search and shopping histories.
Brooker highlighted that Berners-Lee’s efforts were part of a broader movement.
“Tim is part of a broader movement… where people do feel strongly that there’s a better way right to live, work, easy”.
This movement included decentralization summits and other organizations dedicated to decentralizing the web.
