World Wide Web founder Tim Berners-Lee calls for efforts to curb fake news

Founder of the World Wide Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee has called for efforts to reduce the volume of fake news on the internet and said India still needs to work hard on open data.

Speaking at the TechLaw.Fest 2019, he said the World Wide Web Foundation is trying to get people to make their web better in the future with the involvement of governments, industries and people.

He also called for efforts to reduce the volume of fake news, which has become an increasing global concern.

Touching on the need for laws, he said every layer of the internet requires different laws. 

"It would be good to have strong laws about manipulating people," he said.

Regarding India, he said the country still needs to work hard on open data and is facing a challenge in getting everybody online.

"India still needs to work hard on data," he said, adding that his World Wide Web Foundation encourages people to think of open data.

From the World Wide Web Foundation point of view, "India is a place where getting everybody online is a challenge.

World Wide Web Foundation has always pushed for wide access to the internet and particularly in a country like India people must get connected to the whole web, said Sir Tim who invented the World Wide Web 30 years ago.

"If you get internet access you should get internet access through connectivity to any website and it is important everywhere, stressed Sir Tim at the two-day conference organised by Singapore's Law Ministry which was attended by some 1,500 global entrepreneurs, technology and legal communities.