The father of the Internet: The Internet is at a "critical point" and has deviated from the original idea

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Tim Berners-Lee

Beijing time, November 6th, early morning news, today's Internet is not what Tim Berners-Lee imagined when he invented the World Wide Web (WWW) nearly three decades ago.

Berners-Lee told CNBC on Monday at the Lisbon Internet Summit technology conference that the web is at a "tipping point" due to threats such as market concentration, data breaches and so-called "fake news."

“For a long time, 20 years, I thought all I had to do was keep the internet free and open and let people do wonderful things,” Berners-Lee told CNBC’s Karen Tso. “But the fact is, if you run into people on the street right now and talk to them, the internet has changed dramatically. I think we’ve reached a tipping point.”

The London-born computer scientist said the web was no longer the open, constructive platform he envisioned when he invented it 29 years ago. He rattled off a list of concerns, from user frustration with advertising and privacy to hate speech and fake news. Last week, he told Reuters that tech giants like Google and Facebook might have to break up because of the "danger of focus."

"If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have said humanity was going to do great," he said. "If we connect all these people together, they're going to be in great hands. I was wrong."

Internet Protocol

Berners-Lee said governments, companies and citizens all have a role to play in resetting the web to its original envisioned form. His World Wide Web Foundation on Monday published an "Internet Protocol" outlining principles to protect the internet as a fundamental right for everyone.

Facebook and Google have expressed support for the agreement, but it is unclear what impact it will have on the companies. Nonprofits and government representatives, such as France's digital minister, have also signed on.

“The web is for everyone, so if the web is for everyone, the contracts have to be for everyone,” Berners-Lee said.

A key to the plan is that the company respect consumers' privacy and personal data. Facebook has come under intense scrutiny after a series of data breaches exposed the personal information of millions of users.

Despite recent legislation like Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the World Wide Web Foundation estimates that 1.5 billion people still live in countries without comprehensive laws protecting personal data. The agreement requires governments to recognize privacy as a fundamental human right, an idea increasingly supported by executives at major technology companies such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

The agreement also requires governments to keep all internet traffic available at all times. In a report released alongside the agreement, the World Wide Web Foundation urged governments to protect net neutrality and ensure that all online traffic is treated equally.

“A neutral internet is central to the creation of the web and its subsequent success and popularity,” the report said.

Billions of people still don’t have access to the internet

Today there are nearly 2 billion websites in the world, nearly one for every four people. But internet accessibility remains a major barrier. According to the World Wide Web Foundation, more than half of the global population, nearly 4 billion people, are still offline. And the rate at which people are coming online is slowing, especially for women.

The report says we are at a critical moment in the history of the Internet and need to ensure we take steps to narrow the digital divide and reverse the trend of slowing growth.