Berners-Lee Unveils Manifesto and Urgent Web Summit Calling for Algorithm Reform

Sir Tim Berners-Lee today published a manifesto in the Financial Times urging social platforms to ban “rage-bait” algorithms and ensure user control of personal data, and hosted an urgent public conversation in New York about the future of the internet.

The veteran web inventor argues that unchecked recommendation engines fuel polarization and undermine individual sovereignty online, making his calls for tighter algorithmic transparency and data rights more crucial amid rapid AI advances.

Manifesto in Financial Times

What: Publication of “This Is for Everyone” manifesto
Where: Financial Times opinion pages
Why: To advocate outlawing addictive recommendation algorithms and enforce stronger user data controls
Key Proposals:
- Ban algorithmic features designed to maximize time-on-site through negative engagement
- Grant individuals explicit ownership and portability of their personal data
- Establish a “Hippocratic Oath”-style code for AI systems

Urgent Conversation in New York

Event: “Past, Present, and Future of the Internet” panel
Organizer: PulsdNYC
Highlights:
- Berners-Lee outlined parallels between early web ideals and current AI risks
- Emphasized need for international cooperation to develop sovereign, ethical AI frameworks
- Called for a modern “CERN-style” research consortium to safeguard next-generation technologies

Why It Matters

As debates intensify over AI governance and social media impact, Berners-Lee’s twin interventions reinforce that foundational web principles of openness and user empowerment must guide technology’s next evolution. By targeting both corporate algorithms and emerging AI, he seeks to preserve the internet as a democratic platform rather than a tool of manipulation.