Google have signed up to new internet standards designed by world wide web founder Tim Berners-Lee, who said just last week that the companies may have to be broken up to reduce their dominance.

The “contract for the web” will require internet companies to respect data privacy and “support the best in humanity”, after a year in which they have faced unprecedented criticism for data privacy scandals and the spread of fake news, hate speech and online abuse.

The contract sets out high-level principles for a “free and open web”, such as improving internet access and promoting privacy. But according to a spokesperson, the standards will be more detailed after consultations with governments and companies, and could include a commitment to net neutrality, which the British computer scientist has fiercely advocated for after a rollback in the US.

The World Wide Web Foundation, a campaign group founded by Sir Tim, highlighted other threats to the internet in a report published alongside the contract, such as algorithmic bias built into automated tools, and the fact that more than half the population, especially poorer people and women, do not have access to the internet.

“Online decisions with serious real-life consequences are increasingly being made by algorithms and machines that are replicating biases and reinforcing inequalities found offline,” the report said. Recommended Technology sector Tim Berners-Lee hits out at big tech companies.

Sir Tim has become increasingly outspoken about companies that he says act as “gatekeepers” to the internet and “control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared”.

iz.ru