Tim Berners-Lee Wants the Internet Back.

The article focuses on Tim Berners-Lee's proposal for individuals to regain control over their personal online data through "personal clouds" or digital wallets that require permission for access. Berners-Lee's startup, Inrupt, is piloting this concept in Belgium's Flanders region, where personal data pods are used to securely share information for social services and healthcare, aligning with Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Despite this initiative, the dominance of large technology companies and the rise of AI-driven digital assistants pose significant challenges to decentralizing data control, as these companies benefit from extensive data accumulation. The article highlights the tension between user privacy and convenience, noting that widespread adoption of personal data control systems would require substantial cooperation among governments, corporations, and citizens.