World Wide Web Foundation
{{short description|Organization dedicated to the World Wide Web}}
{{Distinguish|text=the World Wide Web Consortium or the unrelated Open Web Foundation}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox organization
| logo = World Wide Web Foundation Logo.png
| name = World Wide Web Foundation
| type = 501(c)(3), charitable organization
| formation = {{start date and age|2009|11|17}}
| defunct = {{end date and age|2024|09|27}}
| founding_location = Washington, D.C.
| founder = {{Plainlist|
}}
| headquarters = Washington, D.C.
| location = Washington, D.C., United States
London, England, United Kingdom
Jakarta, Indonesia
| key_people = {{ubl|Tim Berners-Lee (Founder)|Tom Jenkins (Board Chair)|Afsaneh Beschloss (Board Chair)|José M. Alonso (CEO)|Rosemary Leith (Founding Director)}}
| homepage = {{URL|webfoundation.org}}
| footnotes =
}}
The World Wide Web Foundation, also known as the Web Foundation, was a US-based international nonprofit organization advocating for a free and open web for everyone. It was cofounded by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, and Rosemary Leith.Smith, Craig. [https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/849597/internet-founder-sir-tim-berners-lee-to-deliver-prestigious-adam-smith-lecture-in-fife/ "Internet founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee to deliver prestigious Adam Smith Lecture in Fife"]. The Courier. March 15, 2019. Announced in September 2008{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7613201.stm|title=Warning sounded on web's future|date=September 15, 2008|via=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=September 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916065056/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7613201.stm|archive-date=September 16, 2008|url-status=live}} in Washington, D.C., the Web Foundation launched operations in November 2009 at the Internet Governance Forum.{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/tim-berners-lee-launches-www-foundation-at-igf-2009.ars|title=Tim Berners-Lee launches "WWW Foundation" at IGF 2009|first=Ars|last=Staff|date=November 17, 2009|website=Ars Technica|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416094117/http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/tim-berners-lee-launches-www-foundation-at-igf-2009.ars|archive-date=April 16, 2011|url-status=live}}
The Web Foundation aims to expand global internet access and ensure the web is a safe, empowering platform for everyone to use freely and beneficially.{{Cite web|url=https://webfoundation.org/2017/02/delivering-digital-equality-the-web-foundations-2017-2022-strategy/|title=Delivering Digital Equality: The Web Foundation's 2017 – 2022 Strategy|website=World Wide Web Foundation|date=February 10, 2017 |access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908022423/https://webfoundation.org/2017/02/delivering-digital-equality-the-web-foundations-2017-2022-strategy/|archive-date=September 8, 2019|url-status=live}} One of its former board members was Gordon Brown, former prime minister of the United Kingdom.[http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Gordon-Brown-Sets-Out-His-Plans-For-The-Future-Ex-PM-And-Wife-Sarah-Will-Work-On-Charity-Projects/Article/201009115711936?lpos=Politics_First_UK_News_Feature_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15711936_Gordon_Brown_Sets_Out_His_Plans_For_The_Future%3A_Ex-PM_And_Wife_Sarah_Will_Work_On_Charity_Projects Gordon's Future: Ex-PM Reveals His Big Plans], Sky News, September 2, 2010
On 27th September 2024, Tim Berners-Lee announced that the World Wide Web Foundation was shutting down,{{Cite news |last=Berners-Lee |first=Tim |date=27 September 2024 |title=An Update on the Future of the Web Foundation |url=https://webfoundation.org/docs/2024/09/Public_letter_WWWF.pdf |work=World Wide Web Foundation}} which was also announced on their home page.{{cite website |title=World Wide Web Foundation |url=https://webfoundation.org/}}
Mission
The Web Foundation's mission is to advance the open web as a public good and a basic right. It seeks to achieve digital equality; a world where everyone has the same rights and opportunities online.
In an open letter published in March 2018, Web Foundation founder Berners-Lee called for action to connect the 50% of the world still not online and to ensure they find a web worth connecting to.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/12/tim-berners-lee-web-weapon-regulation-open-letter|title=The web can be weaponized – and we can't count on big tech to stop it | Tim Berners-Lee|first=Tim|last=Berners-Lee|newspaper=The Guardian |date=March 12, 2018|via=www.theguardian.com|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031043353/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/12/tim-berners-lee-web-weapon-regulation-open-letter|archive-date=October 31, 2019|url-status=live}}
In 2019, Web Foundation launched the initiative Contract for the Web to attempt to address issues of political manipulation, fake news, privacy violations, and other malign forces on the internet.
Organization
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Web Foundation works across 70 countries, including work through partner organizations. Its team of around 30 employees works from three main hubs in Jakarta, London and Washington, D.C.{{Cite web|url=https://webfoundation.org/about/|title=About|website=World Wide Web Foundation|date=October 8, 2009 |access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031021016/https://webfoundation.org/about/|archive-date=October 31, 2019|url-status=live}}
It is also the host organization for the Alliance for Affordable Internet, a global coalition of organizations working to reduce the costs of broadband and increase access to the internet.{{Cite web|url=https://a4ai.org/|title=Home|website=Alliance for Affordable Internet|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107163304/https://a4ai.org/|archive-date=November 7, 2019|url-status=live}}
Research
The Web Foundation produces a number of research products including the Open Data Barometer, the Affordability Report, the Web Index and other studies and reports.{{Cite web|url=https://webfoundation.org/research-publications/|title=Research|website=World Wide Web Foundation|date=May 11, 2015 |access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404141235/https://webfoundation.org/research-publications/|archive-date=April 4, 2019|url-status=live}}
Campaigning
In November 2018, the Web Foundation launched the #ForTheWeb campaign, unveiled by founder Berners-Lee at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The campaign calls on governments, companies and citizens to commit to defending a free and open web by signing up to a Contract for the Web.{{Cite web|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-portugal-websummit-berners-lee-idUKKCN1NA2DI|title=Web creator Berners-Lee launches contract for better internet|date=November 5, 2018|via=uk.reuters.com|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611071317/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-portugal-websummit-berners-lee-idUKKCN1NA2DI|archive-date=June 11, 2019|url-status=dead}}
The Contract for the Web{{Cite web|url=https://contractfortheweb.org/|title=Contract for the Web|website=Contract for the Web|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125062936/https://contractfortheweb.org/|archive-date=November 25, 2019|url-status=live}} was published as a set of initial high level principles that was built into a full contract published 25 November 2019.{{cite news |last1=Cellan-Jones |first1=Rory |title=Web inventor attacks Tories over misinformation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50539795# |access-date=25 November 2019 |work=BBC |date=25 November 2019 |ref=BBC-TBL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125090701/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50539795 |archive-date=November 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Berners-Lee |first1=Tim |title=I Invented the World Wide Web. Here's How We Can Fix It. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/opinion/world-wide-web.html |access-date=25 November 2019 |work=New York Times |date=24 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125033056/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/opinion/world-wide-web.html |archive-date=November 25, 2019 |url-status=live }} These principles received backing from governments including Germany{{Cite web|url=https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/bund-unterstuetzt-contract-for-the-web--1554868|title=Bund unterstützt "Contract for the web"|website=Startseite|date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428185442/https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/bund-unterstuetzt-contract-for-the-web--1554868|archive-date=April 28, 2019|url-status=live}} and France,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/tim-berners-lee-unveils-contract-to-protect-and-strengthen-the-web/|title=Tim Berners-Lee unveils 'contract' to protect and strengthen the web|first=Katie|last=Collins|website=CNET|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417202107/https://www.cnet.com/news/tim-berners-lee-unveils-contract-to-protect-and-strengthen-the-web/|archive-date=April 17, 2019|url-status=live}} companies such as Google, Facebook and Cloudflare, as well as a number of civil society organizations.{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2018/11/06/google-facebook-berners-lee-web-contract/|title=Google and Facebook Join Tim Berners-Lee's 'Contract for the Web'|website=Fortune|access-date=November 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605070516/http://fortune.com/2018/11/06/google-facebook-berners-lee-web-contract/|archive-date=June 5, 2019|url-status=live}}
See also
References
External links
- [http://webfoundation.org World Wide Web Foundation]
{{W3C standards}}
Category:Organizations established in 2009
Category:International organizations based in the United States
Category:Information and communication technologies for development