The man who created the world wide web wants you to own your data

In some ways, Tim Berners-Lee's current project is even bolder than the first – even if the latter changed history.

When he created the world wide web in 1989, there was no consolidated information sharing system to compete with his idea. At the time, the internet was only used by governments and academic institutions. Without the web, it is likely that it would never have reached the popularity and global importance that it has today.

Now, the SolidBerners-Lee's main focus in recent years, proposes reversing decades of consolidated online data storage practices.

Since the 1990s, when accessing a website, we have accepted that our data is spread across different platforms. Many companies, however, have not been responsible enough with this information, exposing it to hacker attacks and using it for questionable purposes.

Solid comes to change that. It is a technology that allows you to store different types of information – from financial records to emails and photos – in a private repository in the cloud, called pod (short for “personal online data store”, or “personal online data repository”).

Companies that want to access your data will need to ask for permission. You decide what will be shared and no one will be able to use your information freely – for example, to train artificial intelligence algorithms.

In 2018, Berners-Lee and John Bruce founded the startup Inrupt to commercialize the platform. The idea is brilliant, but it requires buy-in from many parties, including technology companies that profit from data collection and have no interest in giving up that control.

Although Solid has not yet caused a global transformation, Berners-Lee and Bruce continue to look for ways to accelerate its development. A big step was taken in October, when Inrupt transferred the general coordination of the project to the Open Data Institute (ODI), a non-profit organization co-founded by Berners-Lee in 2012.

According to him, Solid has reached a point where ODI's structure and connections can accelerate the project's advancement. “It was basically a group of people collaborating on GitHub, but now it needs centralized coordination,” he explains.

“The Open Data Institute, which already works with public, corporate and shared data, recognizes that the data spectrum includes personal data and is now leading the Solid movement.”

In July, Inrupt launched a digital wallet software-based. The choice of the term was strategic: everyone is already familiar with digital wallets such as Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, which facilitate the management of cards, tickets and tickets.

Solid is a technology that allows you to store information in a private repository in the cloud, called a pod.

“We used to tell people, 'You're going to have a pod Solid', and they were confused,” says Bruce. “Now we say they will have a digital wallet and they respond: 'Cool! And why is it different from Apple?'”

But Inrupt's ambition goes far beyond being just an “open” version of existing digital wallets. Today, users depend on Apple and Google for new features. With Solid, no one would be tied to a single company. Anyone could develop applications on the platform, creating innovations that we have not even imagined.

For this technology to have a real impact, it will need to be integrated into operating systems. And the chances of Apple and Google giving up their wallets seem remote, but Berners-Lee is optimistic.

He remembers that his vision for the web in 1989 prevailed because browsers ended up adopting the same standards. “With HTML, there was a lot of wrangling, but in the end everyone came to a consensus,” he notes. “Today, both Safari and Chrome use the same HTML.”

But it’s not just about getting a few tech giants on board. Inrupt wants to allow many organizations to host digital wallet data, promoting competition for policies that appeal to users: “You can choose a provider to ensure your data is not used for AI training,” says Berners-Lee.

Even if Solid doesn't solve all problems, it has the potential to bring significant change. And this initiative is not just a distant dream: it comes from the creator of the web himself, trying to rescue the original idealism of the internet, centered on the user. How can you not hope that this happens?

---