World Wide Web at 30: what's next for the Web? | l & # 39; Internet

This week, the World Wide Web was 30 years old. It can be hard for many of us to imagine a time when you could not simply connect to the Internet and search the web. It's the number of people who stay in touch, make friends, discuss, research and share information.

But 30 years ago, none of that was possible.

In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee and other scientists at CERN, the world's largest physics laboratory, were frustrated by the inability to share the experiences and data stored on their many computers. He proposed a system whereby information in one part of the globe was connected to all the others – easily accessible, accessible to all and controlled by anyone.

This vision of universal connectivity has become the World Wide Web.

According to Berners-Lee, connectivity for all is a human right and he calls on governments to sign a global contract for the protection of people's rights and freedoms in the digital age.

"We are talking about a contract for the Web for the next phase … Businesses and governments need to talk to each other, but we have also included a third constituent, the consumer … The Web should be at the top of the list. more user-centered future, users should have more control over their data, " Berners-Lee said Abid Ali, economic editor of Al Jazeera.

Asked about the progress made in mastering the use of personal data by large technology companies, Berners-Lee explained that "the European Data Protection Regulation (RGD) … even when it comes to the use of personal data by large technology companies," Berners-Lee said. it applies to Europe – a Thus, for example, since the GDPR arrived in the EU, four major companies in Silicon Valley – Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft (and d & rsquo; Others not only in Silicon Valley) – have The Data Transfer Project (DTP) is a little-known project, but companies are committed to getting your data, such as your photographs, your contacts or whatever and put them in the other, or … whatever you want to do.

"Philosophically, it's very interesting because by engaging in the data transfer project, these companies really say," Yes, it's your data and that's how we'll behave " .

Three decades ago, Berners-Lee wanted the World Wide Web to be a place where everyone had access to the best information at all times. Today, China has the largest number of Internet users in the world, about 829 million according to the government. It also has the largest firewall and one of the most restrictive Internet environments in the world.

"China may be the display of government censorship, including other sources of information, but unfortunately, they are not the only ones." Some African and Middle-Eastern Countries East also have pretty serious firewalls, "said Berners-Lee. this censorship is "a very big threat to the web".

"The Web works because it's independent of the country.When you read the blog, you do not know where the author of the message is, and it should not matter. "It's a really healthy thing for the world," he said.

"Its value as an open global platform is far greater than it would be if it were split into national or continental chunks." Every time we see government censorship, we need to gently persuade concerned governments that they can survive with people exposed to the other point of view … The political debate should be based on good open access to a good knowledge of the state of the world. "

Also on this episode of Count the cost:

Kenya's mobile economy: Long before Fintech, Apple Pay, and Ali-pay became buzzwords, an unlikely part of the world was leading the charge for mobile payments. M-Pesa, part of the largest company in East Africa, Safaricom, has signed a partnership agreement with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. This agreement will help Safaricom customers use its mobile money service outside of Kenya.

Robert Collymore, CEO of Safaricom, presents his point of view on the social effect of M-Pesa, claiming that the data show that "many people have been driven out of extreme poverty because of M-Pesa Every minute, 3,000 people are receiving money on M-Pesa, 2,000 people are paying their bills, 380 loans are issued every minute with the help of M-Pesa. "

"Many Africans do not use or trust credit cards, so use M-Pesa, which is so ubiquitous – 21 million Kenyans today use M-Pesa every day – it helps these people. customers to carry them out. [financial] transactions in a very transparent way. "

Thailand rubber: Thailand is the world's largest exporter of raw rubber. However, while its world price is plummeting, farmers in the country are suffering. The government has launched a grant program. But critics say that it is too little, too late and that it is only an attempt to win votes before the elections. Scott Heidler reports from Krabi province in southern Thailand.

Lamu Port: Environmentalists in northeastern Kenya are campaigning against a major construction project that is said to be taking place on illegally seized land. The Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Corridor Project (LAPSSET) is estimated at $ 24.5 billion. Activists say that it will damage the environment. But the government has accused the militants of obstructing progress, even calling them "terrorists," as reported by Zein Basravi of Nairobi.

Last Boeing: Boeing calls its 737 the most popular jet plane of all time. The US-based aerospace company hoped its new 737 MAX 8 would bring a new era of pbadenger safety. However, two fatal accidents in five months prompted a closer look at the model's control systems, as Rob Reynolds reports from the Boeing aircraft plant in Renton, Seattle.

Social media in one of the most dynamic economies in the world: Twitter has posted unverified political announcements in the country ahead of next month's Indian national elections. Reports from Faiz Jamil of Al Jazeera in New Delhi.

Source: Al Jazeera