Why I Gave the World Wide Web Away for Free: Tim Berners-Lee’s Vision and the Fight for a Free Web
By Tim Berners-Lee, The Guardian, September 28, 2025
In an exclusive reflection, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, shares the inspiration behind giving his groundbreaking creation away for free and discusses why his original vision remains critical in today’s digital landscape.
The Birth of the World Wide Web: A Vision of Sharing
At 34 years old, working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Tim Berners-Lee conceived the idea that would revolutionize communication worldwide—the World Wide Web. Driven by a vision to unite two existing technologies—internet connectivity and hypertext linking—he imagined a system that would let anyone easily navigate the internet by accessing interconnected documents through “links.”
Berners-Lee tirelessly advocated for the project, sketching his ideas during meetings, explaining the concept to his colleagues, and even illustrating the web in the snow with a ski pole during a day off. Although initially considered “a little eccentric,” his managers eventually supported his work.
He believed the web would unlock unprecedented creativity and global collaboration if everyone could freely access and contribute content. Key to this was ensuring that using the web would not involve paying fees per search or upload. Thus, in 1993, Berners-Lee convinced CERN’s management to place the intellectual property of the web into the public domain. The web was given away, open and free to the world.
Has the Web Remained Free? Current Challenges
In the more than three decades since, the web has transformed society, yet Berners-Lee questions whether it remains truly free. Today, dominant platforms harvest vast amounts of user data, often without meaningful consent, sharing it with commercial entities and even oppressive regimes. Algorithms designed to maximize engagement have contributed to mental health issues, especially among teenagers.
Instead of users being the customers, many are now effectively the product, with their data commodified and traded. This commercialization has enabled the spread of misinformation, harmful content, and real-world violence—outcomes that stand in stark contrast to Berners-Lee’s original hope for a free and open web dedicated to collaboration and creativity.
Returning Control to Users: The Solid Initiative
Recognizing these issues, Berners-Lee and his team developed Solid, an open-source, interoperable technology platform designed to return data ownership to individuals. Instead of apps hoarding data, Solid empowers users by requiring apps to explicitly request access to their information, which they can approve or deny.
This approach challenges the fragmented and siloed storage of personal data—biological metrics on smartwatches, financial details from credit cards, and social media posts housed across various platforms. Berners-Lee argues that individuals generate all this data and therefore should own and control it, using it to empower their digital lives rather than being exploited.
Facing the Future: AI, Policy, and Collaboration
Berners-Lee warns that the web’s path took a wrong turn somewhere between its inception (Web 1.0) and the rise of social media (Web 2.0). Now, as artificial intelligence reshapes how we interact with technology, society stands once again at a crossroads.
He advocates urgent action to establish governance frameworks for AI before the technology becomes monopolized and exploited, repeating the mistakes made with social media’s unchecked rise. He envisions AI systems like “Charlie”—an AI that works explicitly for individuals, operating under strict regulation and ethical standards similar to doctors or lawyers.
However, government responses have been slow and often overshadowed by fierce competition among companies driving AI development. Berners-Lee stresses that a collaborative, not-for-profit model akin to CERN’s international spirit is necessary for equitable AI research and governance.
A Call to Reclaim the Web for Everyone
Reflecting on why he gave the world wide web away for free, Berners-Lee reiterates his belief that the web can only succeed if it functions for everyone, not just for profit or power. With political will and global cooperation, it is still possible to reclaim the web as a tool fostering collaboration, creativity, and compassion beyond borders.
The web can be re-empowered as a space that respects privacy, supports individual ownership of data, and harnesses technology to benefit society at large—not merely conglomerates. Berners-Lee’s message is clear: it is not too late to fight for the web he originally envisioned, one built for everyone.
Further Reading:
- This Is for Everyone by Tim Berners-Lee (Macmillan)
- The Innovators by Walter Isaacson
- The Web We Weave by Jeff Jarvis
- The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks by Chris Stokel-Walker
About the Author:
Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web and a professor at MIT. He continues to advocate for a free, open, and democratic internet.
This article originally appeared in The Guardian’s Technology section.
