Nine To Noon The inventor of the world wide web on giving the internet back to the people
Mar 26, 2026
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and advocate for decentralised personal data, reflects on the web's original open vision and how it became optimised for profit. He discusses addictive algorithm design, platform monopolies, SOLID data pods that return control to individuals, and the idea of personal AIs that use only your data.
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Web Designed As A Universal Platform
- Tim Berners-Lee intended the web to be universal so anyone could put anything on it.
- He designed it to avoid siloed systems limited to academic papers, languages, or tree structures, enabling broad, unrestricted content.
2016 Marked A Shift Toward Manipulation
- Tim Berners-Lee says a turning point was around the 2016 elections when manipulation via the web influenced major political outcomes.
- He links web-enabled targeting and misinformation to events like Brexit and Trump's election as evidence of harmful shifts.
Platform Dominance Was Predictable
- Berners-Lee expected consolidation because monopolies have recurred in communications and platforms.
- He compares the rise of Facebook/Instagram to past monopolies like Standard Oil, AT&T and America Online.