Why I Gave the World Wide Web Away for Free
Sir Tim Berners-Lee reflects on his decision in 1993 at CERN to release the World Wide Web into the public domain. He believed that openness and universal access were essential for the Web to truly change the world.
Quick Insight: The Web was made free so everyone could build on it, share ideas and knowledge, and collaborate globally—but over time, commercial pressures and algorithmic manipulation have distorted that vision. Berners-Lee urges reclaiming user control, transparently governed AI, and renewed commitment to open standards.
1. Genesis & Why He Gave It Away
• Working at CERN in 1989-1993, Berners-Lee developed the Web by combining Internet infrastructure with hypertext.
• He believed that for it to succeed, the Web had to be free—free to use, free to build on, and free of royalties or patents.
• In 1993, he convinced CERN to relinquish intellectual property rights, putting the Web into the public domain.
2. He Sees What’s Gone Wrong
• Large platforms now monetize not by selling services, but by collecting, analyzing, and selling user data.
• Algorithms engineered to boost engagement often do so at the expense of privacy, mental health, and social cohesion.
• Users are often treated more like products than customers — their attention and data are traded.
3. His Vision for the Future & Solutions
• He promotes **Solid**, an open-source, interoperable standard project in which users own their data and decide how it’s shared.
• Calls for urgent governance and regulation for AI to avoid repeating past mistakes of social media and platform monopolies.
• Advocates for a non-profit, international AI governance body modeled after institutions like CERN, to ensure the Web remains open and fair to all.
Final Thoughts
The decision to give the Web away for free wasn’t just generosity—it was strategic. Tim Berners-Lee believed that openness fuels innovation. As we face challenges from centralized control, addictive algorithms, and AI governance, his original vision offers a roadmap for restoring what the Web was meant to be: free, empowering, and for everyone.
