A website where the user has complete control of his data? Sounds Solid, Tim Berners-Lee • The Registry

WWW creator Tim Berners-Lee attacks the Internet giants with his new decentralized Web project, Solid, which encourages individuals, not businesses, to control their data.

The inventor is no stranger to public statements about the future of his creation, which he has long struggled to remain open to all.

But in recent months, his frustrations with the dominance of a small number of platforms and their inability, even reluctance, to control themselves – despite suggestions that their platforms have been used to influence political campaigns – have become more apparent.

"Despite all the benefits we have gained, the Web has evolved into an engine of inequality and division, influenced by powerful forces that use it for their own programs," he wrote. in a Medium article.

His concerns are about the power that companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon hold because of the wealth of data they've collected, and the way they've used it to target groups and individuals. in order to further seize the market, gain more power and accumulate even more data.

At the same time, the influence of customers on the companies from which they have purchased services is decreasing. Despite what some companies claim, there are often few legitimate alternatives to the service provided, while confusing policies or clever tricks allow them to continue sucking up the masses of data needed to power the machine.

And the attitudes of leaders are uncomfortable for those who are interested in privacy or open data. Mark Zuckerberg uses his so-called "social mission" of connectivity as an excuse for invasive practices; Google appeared confused that "erase all cookies" included its own cookies; and most companies are more than willing to push their luck with the app permissions.

"People want apps that help them do what they want and need to do – without spying on them," Berners-Lee said. "Apps that do not have the ulterior motive to distract them with proposals to buy this or that."

Earlier this year, Berners-Lee said that regulation may be the only way to restore balance, but he is now selling a new model: a decentralized platform called Solid.

"The way we develop the Web to restore balance is strong: we give each of us total control over the data, both personal and non-revolutionary."

The open source project, developed with a team at MIT, "alters the current pattern that users must pass their personal data to digital giants in exchange for perceived value," he said.

"As we all discovered, this has not been in our interest."

The Solid platform will allow someone to create their own personal online data store and then manage access to it, which will allow them to link and share data with whom it wish and allow users to view the same data with different applications at the same time.

The idea is that applications built on Solid would work together, "collaborating and designing ways to enrich and streamline your personal life and business goals," Berners-Lee said.

Another goal is clearly to take a giant or two of the giants of technology that dominate every aspect of our lives. If big business could not hang on to everyone's data, small businesses could get noticed. a set of Facebook-type applications using only data stored in Solid would give consumers a real choice.

To get started, however, developers and businesses must want to get involved. Berners-Lee has sold "multiple market opportunities, including solid applications and solid data storage", and insisted that the public pay for "quality and insurance" applications that do not spy on them not.

However, he acknowledged the effort to build the new platform and thus launched a startup, Inrupt, to drive the development of the platform.

"There are many examples of open-source initiatives that have benefited immensely from the contribution of a company with sufficient resources," he said.

"While the open source community is a source of initiative and a source of deep innovation, web users and businesses often seek applications and services from a business entity that also provides technical support and services. essential trades.

Berners-Lee is taking a sabbatical from his position at MIT, reducing his work with the World Wide Web Consortium to lead the company with co-founder John Bruce, who recently led the IBM Resilient group.

"Inrupt's mission is to make Solid become widely embraced by developers, businesses, and ultimately everyone, to become part of the Web," said Bruce, who will assume the role of CEO.

"Equally exciting is the reaction of partners and potential companies. The appetite for Solid is bigger and bigger; a recognition that Solid can free us from stifling data silos and create a blank slate for innovation.

Bruce and Berners-Lee are confident that they can break the data silos of the Web. Perhaps the imminent launch as a result of another massive data breach could grease the wheels – but their ability to break the science park seems far from certain. ®