The World Wide Web has turned thirty years old - what will happen to it next?

On the 30th birthday of the World Wide Web, WWW, the founder of the World Wide Web Foundation [an international non-profit organization dedicated to the development and accessibility of the World Wide Web / approx. transl.] Tim Berners-Lee recalls how the web has changed our world, and talks about what we need to do to create a better web that can benefit all of humanity.

Today, March 12, 2019, 30 years after my first proposal to create an information management system, half of the world's population is online. It is time to celebrate how far we have come and realize how much more we have to do.

The web has become a city square, a library, a doctor’s office, a store, a school, a design studio, an office, a cinema, a bank, and much, much more. Of course, with the advent of each new feature and new site, the gap between people who are online and people who are offline is widening, which makes the need to make the web more accessible to everyone.
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And although the web created many opportunities, gave the right to vote to isolated groups, made our everyday life easier, it also created opportunities for fraudsters, made it possible for people to spread hatred to speak out and made it easier to commit various crimes.

Against the background of the misuse of the web, it is clear why many people fear the web and are not sure if it is good. But considering how much the web has changed over the past 30 years, you shouldn’t give up and count without using any imagination that the web cannot be changed for the better in the next 30 years. If we give up, and we don’t create an improved web today, it’s not the web that will let us down; we’ll let it down.

To solve any problem, first it must be clearly identified and understood. Three sources of problems of today's web are striking me:

1. Deliberate malicious acts, such as attacks and hacks, sponsored by states, illegal behavior and harassment of people online.
2. The principle of functioning of the systems, creating perverse incentives, under the influence of which the value of the user is ignored - for example, profitability models based on advertising, encouraging clickbate and viral dissemination of misinformation.
3. Unintended negative consequences of good intentions, for example, angry disputes, intransigence of opinions, the quality of online discussions.

And although it is impossible to get rid of the first category completely, we can create laws and rules of behavior that minimize such behavior, as was done in offline. The second category requires redesigning systems to change incentives. The third category requires research to understand existing systems and model new ones, or fine-tune existing ones.

You can not blame any one government, one social network or the human spirit. We risk wasting energy on unnecessary simplifications, chasing symptoms of problems, instead of focusing on their causes. To do everything right, we must get together and become a global web community.

In key moments of the history of the generation, who lived before, cooperated with the goal of creating a better future. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights allowed different people to accept fundamental principles. International maritime law and the Outer Space Treaty have made it possible to preserve new frontiers for the common good. And now, when the web is changing the whole world, we are responsible for ensuring that access to the web is considered a human right and created for the common good. Therefore, the Web Foundation is working with governments, companies and citizens to create a new “ World Wide Web Contract ”.

The contract was launched in Lisbon at the World Wide Web Summit, where people gathered who agreed with the need to set clear standards, laws and web standards. Those supporting this project endorse its initial principles and work jointly on segregation of duties. No group should work on this together, and any input will be greatly appreciated. Governments, companies and citizens are making their contributions, and we are aiming to achieve results already this year.

Governments need to adapt laws and regulations to the digital age. They must ensure that markets remain competitive, innovative and open. They have a responsibility to people to protect their rights and freedoms online. We need open web supporters in governments — civil servants and elected representatives who will act in cases where the interests of the private sector threaten the common good and defend the open web.

Companies need to do more so that in pursuit of quick profits, they do not forget about human rights, democracy, scientific facts or public safety. Platforms and products need to be developed, considering privacy, variety and security. This year, we saw how several employees of technology companies demanded that they improve their business practices. This kind of activity needs to be encouraged.

And, most importantly, citizens should demand from companies and governments to fulfill the promises they made, and demand that they respect the web as a global community in which people are at the center. If we do not elect politicians to defend a free and open web, if we do not encourage constructive, healthy discussions online, if we continue to agree with everything, without demanding the protection of our data, we disclaim our responsibility to make these problems are a priority for our governments.

The battle for the web is one of the most important goals of our time. Today, half the world is online. As never before, it is important to ensure that the other half does not lag behind the first half, and that everyone will contribute to the web, promoting equality, opportunity and creativity.

The World Wide Web Contract should not be a short list of edits, but a process that marks a shift in the understanding of our relationships with the online community. It must be clear enough to serve as a guiding star, but flexible enough to adapt to the rapid changes in technology. This is our journey from digital youth to a more mature, responsible and inclusive future.

The web is for everyone, and we all have the potential to change it. It will not be easy. But if you dream a little and work a lot, we can get the web we want.