Tim Berners-Lee on the future of the web: 'The system is failing'

The inventor of the world wide web remains an optimist but sees a 'nasty wind' blowing amid concerns over advertising, net neutrality and fake news

Sir Tim Berners-Lee's optimism about the future of the web is starting to wane in the face of a "nasty storm" of issues including the rollback of net neutrality protections, the proliferation of fake news, propaganda and the web's increasing polarisation.

The inventor of the world wide web always maintained his creation was a reflection of humanity - the good, the bad and the ugly. But Berners-Lee's vision for an "open platform that allows anyone to share information, access opportunities and collaborate across geographical boundaries" has been challenged by increasingly powerful digital gatekeepers whose algorithms can be weaponised by master manipulators.