Berners-Lee blasts surveillance as a threat to democracy

November 30, 2013

Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee has warned that government surveillance and censorship will threaten the democratic nature of the web. Berners-Lee made his comments as his World Wide Web Foundation (WWWF) released its annual web index report, tracking global censorship. The report, which points out how the internet is helping much of the world and ranks countries in terms of the social and political impact of the web, finishes by calling for an urgent review around the current legal framework on government snooping. "One of the most encouraging findings of this year's web Index is how the web and social media are increasingly spurring people to organize, take action and try to expose wrongdoing in every region of the world," Berners-Lee said. "But some governments are threatened by this, and a growing tide of surveillance and censorship now threatens the future of democracy. Bold steps are needed now to protect our fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of opinion and association online." To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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