Q&A: Tim Berners-Lee, Founder, WWW

Tim Berners-Lee, known as the father of the World Wide Web (WWW) – a Web standards organisation which develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software and tools) – feels the international regulation of Internet may have a multi-stakeholder system once it is formulated. At the 20th International World Wide Web conference in Hyderabad, Tim shares various aspects of Internet with Rajani Kanth. Edited excerpts:

Is there a need to have a regulatory body to monitor the use and curtail the misuse of the Internet?
Currently, there is a lot of discussion on whether international governance (on the Internet) should be through countries or independent. I think, probably, we will end up with a multi-stakeholder system. There is a lot of discussion happening on various aspects of Internet regulation and the implementation of the same in different countries. Implementing a regulation will be a tough job given the different jurisdictions of countries. One of the problems is coordination among law enforcement agencies across different countries. 

Former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam recently talked about Internet as a tool for societal transformation? What is your take on that?
Web is a great tool to connect the unconnected. People across geographies increasingly consider access to the Internet a right as much as any other civil right. Already, Finland has accepted access to Internet as a human right. 

What's your take on the revolution in Egypt?
The Web is a powerful tool if used correctly. It is critical to have Internet as a neutral media. It should not be controlled by companies or governments. It should be a neutral place where a common man should be able to provide feedback to the government and access content.

What is WWW Foundation's focus now?
The WWW Foundation is involved in exploring the prospects of Web in the coming days. We should work on accelerating the access to Web among people. That is a critical question … even Web Foundation is working on that.