Inventor in plea to ‘save open internet’

SIR Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, has written an open letter calling for European citizens to “save the open internet”.

EU regulators are currently working on guidelines surrounding net neutrality – which is the principle that all internet traffic is equal – having voted on new legislation last year.

However, Sir Tim, along with law professors Barbara van Schewick and Larry Lessig, has urged the public to engage in the consultation, which runs until July 18, in order to pressure regulators into closing what they call “potential loopholes” that could threaten net neutrality.

“Network neutrality for hundreds of millions of Europeans is within our grasp,” the letter says.

“Securing this is essential to preserve the open internet as a driver for economic growth and social progress. But the public needs to tell regulators now to strengthen safeguards.”

The letter, which was posted to the website of the World Wide Web Foundation of which Sir Tim is a founder, also criticises telecoms firms for “lobbying hard to get regulators to adopt weak guidelines that would benefit their businesses over the public interest”.

Among the alleged loopholes highlighted in Sir Tim’s open letter was the allowing of “fast lanes” of internet access for “specialised services”, where telecoms companies could charge websites extra in order to reach customers faster.

“Regulators need to close this loophole by clarifying that the ‘specialised services’ exception cannot be used to create fast lanes for normal internet content,” he argues.

“The internet has become the critical infrastructure of our time. Strong guidelines will protect the future of competition, innovation, and creative expression in Europe, enhancing Europe’s ability to lead in the digital economy.”