The rise of disinformation, online abuse and extremism has shown the web isn’t the glowing network of knowledge, community and togetherness we once hoped it could be. Is there a way back?
The past 12 months have been a bumper year for the internet. Several billion people went online far more than they ever imagined. A US presidential election refocused the spotlight on disinformation, and how it might disrupt a democracy that was already shaken up by internet-fuelled alternative truths.
We’ve witnessed the rise of cults, the demise of advertising, and the erosion of our mental health. By this account, it’s not been a bumper year for humanity.
The pioneers of the internet never thought their invention would be at the centre of a global re-think. The internet project was famously funded by the US government, but its first use was to connect universities so they could share information....
Eight experts reveal the web’s biggest problems, and how to counteract them to build a better internet.
Neil Johnson is quoted in number 5.