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Forward-looking: After advocating for a free and open web for over 15 years, the Web Foundation is officially shutting its "virtual doors." According to the organization's co-founders, its mission has essentially been accomplished, and now it's time to focus on new initiatives to ensure the web remains safe and accessible in the future.
In a letter shared by the organization's co-founders, Tim Berners-Lee and Rosemary Leith, the foundation said the modern web landscape is vastly different from what used to be. While one of the most transformative technologies ever created remains more popular than ever, there is still a need for proactive efforts to preserve the web as a free platform for users worldwide.
The Web Foundation was established in 2009 through the collective efforts of funders, colleagues, and a passionate group of supporters, the letter states. At that time, only about 20 percent of the world had access to the web. Prior to the creation of the non-profit, no major initiative was dedicated to improving the "social side" of the internet by focusing on expanding access and affordability.
By 2024, the letter continues, the landscape had changed significantly. Nearly 70 percent of the global population is now online, and more organizations are fighting to defend users' rights and uphold the web's core principles. However, there are also more threats, with social media platforms identified by Berners-Lee and Leith as one of the main issues challenging the web today.
The Web Foundation co-founders state that ubiquitous social networks have commoditized users' data and concentrated immense power online. A significant portion of the web is now controlled by just a few companies, undermining Tim Berners-Lee's original vision for the platform and negatively affecting society. Social media businesses have had a detrimental impact on both democracy and individual well-being.
The Web Foundation's board considered how it could still influence the future development of the web, despite the challenges of this new social landscape. Tim Berners-Lee is now primarily focused on restoring his original vision through the Solid Protocol, which led to the decision to close the NGO.
"We have been reflecting back fondly on the past 15 years and the impact Web Foundation has had globally. We pay tribute to the amazing partnerships we've formed with colleagues, other NGO's, governments, private funders and advocates in the space," the letter says.
Berners-Lee has been working on Solid technology for nearly a decade. The Solid Protocol aims to create a decentralized layer within traditional web applications, though Berners-Lee is critical of the "Web 3.0" narrative, which he associates with slow, costly, and largely impractical blockchain protocols championed by the cryptocurrency industry. Solid's official specification outlines a system where individuals can securely store their data in decentralized containers called Pods, which can then be shared with other individuals or organizations.