World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee released an ambitious rule book for online governance 91裸聊视频� a bill of rights and obligations for the internet 91裸聊视频� designed to counteract the growing prevalence of such anti-democratic poisons as misinformation, mass surveillance and censorship.
The product of a year91裸聊视频檚 work by the World Wide Web Foundation where Berners-Lee is a founding director, the 91裸聊视频� Contract for the Web 91裸聊视频� seeks commitments from governments and industry to make and keep knowledge freely available 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淲e haven91裸聊视频檛 had a fairly complex, fairly complete plan of action for the web going forward,91裸聊视频� Berners-Lee said in an interview. 91裸聊视频淭his is the first time we91裸聊视频檝e had a rule book in which responsibility is being shared.91裸聊视频�
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 don91裸聊视频檛 measure up to that standard.
Amnesty International just released a report charging that Google and Facebook91裸聊视频檚 business models are predicated on the abuse of human rights.
Berners-Lee nevertheless says that 91裸聊视频渉aving them in the room is really important.91裸聊视频� He said both companies had approached the foundation seeking participation.
91裸聊视频淲e feel that companies and governments deserve equal seats at the table and understanding where they91裸聊视频檙e coming from is equally valuable,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭o have this conversation around a table without the tech companies, it just wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have the clout and we wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have ended up with the insights.91裸聊视频�
The non-profit foundation91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淭he trend for balkanization is really worrying and it91裸聊视频檚 extreme at the moment in Iran,91裸聊视频� said Berners-Lee. A strong government exhibits tolerance, the computer scientist added, for 91裸聊视频渙ther voices, opposition voices, foreign voices to be heard by its citizens.91裸聊视频�
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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 nation91裸聊视频檚 willingness to let information flow freely on its domestic network.
Frank Bajak, The Associated Press
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