Tim Berners-Lee has announced he will collaborate with entrepreneur John Bruce to revolutionise the web.

Berners-Lee has launched startup company Inrupt, which will aim to boost the adoption of the Solid decentralised web project, a long-running project that improves upon existing web protocols and lets users store their data in a secure method. Rather than using a centralised server, users can utilise the cloud or other platforms to store data in online ‘pods’.

Taking back control and fighting the rise of big tech, can Berners-Lee untangle the web?

Breaking the Internet

Currently, applications such as Facebook more or less control users’ data by confining it to their own servers – and using it as they see fit.

Through the Solid model, user data (which includes identity, photos, comments, likes and a myriad of other information) would be stored in these ‘pod’ data stores. A user can decide to what extent companies can access this data and, importantly, which companies.

Rather than a social media giant having access to centralised data and preventing competitors from accessing their own information goldmine, this model would create competition for user data based on the services they can offer. Personal data, through this process, is portable and could offer unparalleled levels of control and privacy.

Berners-Lee has been an outspoken critic of the current status-quo in regards to data. Technology giants and governments, he suggests, have taken advantage of the internet to consolidate power and centralise data.

In a blog post published on Medium, he explained: “Solid is guided by the principle of ‘personal empowerment through data’, which we believe is fundamental to the success of the next era of the web. We believe data should empower each of us.”

Taking Back Control

His goal here appears to be fighting against this centralised data-hoarding culture and, based on announcements at the weekend, he may be to be justified in doing so. Facebook announced that up to 50 million users may have been exposed in a cybersecurity breach. It is this risk, Berners-Lee claims, says is the driving force behind his latest venture.

“For all the good we’ve achieved, the web has evolved into an engine of inequity and division; swayed by powerful forces who use it for their own agendas,” Berners-Lee said. “Today, I believe we’ve reached a critical tipping point, and that powerful change for the better is possible — and necessary.”

He noted that there is a growing “wave of concern, and related energy, desperate for change” among web users across the world. Through Solid, people will have greater control over their data and privacy and offered the chance to shut out big tech and its “ulterior motives”.

“People want to have a web they can trust,” he commented. “People want apps that help them do what they want and need to do – without spying on them. Apps that don’t have an ulterior motive of distracting them with propositions to buy this or that.”

Inrupt

In his blog post, Berners-Lee explained that Inrupt will provide a commercial platform, from which Solid will be pushed to the public.

Until now, Inrupt has been an open source project, largely centred on MIT’s computer science labs. Having taken a sabbatical from the institute – and reducing his involvement with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) – he can now focus on promoting Solid.

“Inrupt’s success is totally aligned to Solid’s success,” he wrote. “Inrupt will be the infrastructure allowing Solid to flourish. Its mission is to provide commercial energy and an ecosystem to help protect the integrity and quality of the new web built on Solid.”

Fellow co-founder, John Bruce, has a distinguished history in the software industry. He previously served as CEO at cybersecurity firm, Resilient, before it was acquired by IBM in 2016 and launched Quickcomm, which was purchased by Vodafone.

Bruce said he hopes this commercial expertise can help market Solid as a viable alternative architecture for building web-based solutions and create a better web experience for users.

“Solid as an open-source project had been facing the normal challenges: vying for attention and lacking the necessary resources to realise its true potential. The solution was to establish a company that could bring resources, process and appropriate skills to make the promise of Solid a reality,” he said.