World Wide Web ConsortiumDec 12, 2024

The W3C @tag has published a Statement of Ethical Web Principles to guide the community to build a better web.

@torgo and @wz43rtx noted:

The web is a fundamental part of our lives, shaping how we work, connect, and learn. We understand that with this profound impact comes the responsibility to ensure that the web serves as a platform that benefits people and delivers positive social outcomes. 1/4

https://www.w3.org/blog/2024/w3c-statement-on-ethical-web-principles-guides-the-community-to-build-a-better-web/

W3C Statement on Ethical Web Principles guides the community to build a better web

The Ethical Web Principles, which build on W3C’s core values and principles in the web and its architecture, are a call to action for the web industry and for W3C itself, aiming to deliver positive social outcomes. As we expand the web platform, we must consider the consequences of our work. As members of the web community, we each play a part in shaping its future.

W3C
Show threadWorld Wide Web ConsortiumDec 12, 2024

The Ethical Web Principles are as much a guide in ethical thinking across the web industry as they are a guide for the work of the W3C community by providing a concise set of principles to assist spec developers, authors, and reviewers in their work.

Furthermore, the document outlines how we, as an organization, define the power and purpose of the web, from an ethical standpoint.

These principles are not merely theoretical; they constitute a call to action. 2/4

Show threadWorld Wide Web Consortium
These Principles include:
* There is one web
* The web does not cause harm to society
* The web supports healthy community and debate
* The web is for all people
* The web is secure and respects people's privacy
* The web enables freedom of expression
* The web makes it possible to verify information
* The web enhances individuals' control and power
* The web is an environmentally sustainable platform
* The web is transparent
* The web is multi-browser, multi-OS, and multi-device 3/4
Dec 12, 2024 at 1:23pmWeb
Show threadWorld Wide Web ConsortiumDec 12, 2024

* The web can be consumed in any way that people choose

As members of the web community, we each play a part in shaping its future. The Ethical Web Principles remind us that the web extends beyond technology—it’s a reflection of the values we hold as a global society. Let us adopt this guide to enhance a web that connects and empowers us all.

Thank you to the TAG and all at W3C who made this momentous Statement of W3C Principles possible.
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Read more at: https://www.w3.org/blog/2024/w3c-statement-on-ethical-web-principles-guides-the-community-to-build-a-better-web/

W3C Statement on Ethical Web Principles guides the community to build a better web

The Ethical Web Principles, which build on W3C’s core values and principles in the web and its architecture, are a call to action for the web industry and for W3C itself, aiming to deliver positive social outcomes. As we expand the web platform, we must consider the consequences of our work. As members of the web community, we each play a part in shaping its future.

W3C
Show threadGabeDec 12, 2024
@w3c I notice that there is no mention of hyperlinks. Walled gardens, the polar opposite of a "web", are fine?
Show threadDaniel AppelquistDec 12, 2024
@gabe personally I think that is covered in "There is One Web," but if you think it' should be more explicit, please feel free to open an issue: https://github.com/w3ctag/ethical-web-principles
GitHub - w3ctag/ethical-web-principles: W3C TAG Ethical Web Principles

W3C TAG Ethical Web Principles. Contribute to w3ctag/ethical-web-principles development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub
Show threadJESSE JANOWIAK HAS MOVEDDec 12, 2024
@gabe @w3c As far as I can tell, this document’s scope is “the web”, and walled gardens are not the web — as you pointed out. I don’t think that anyone is endorsing or sanctioning alternative platform structures here.
Show threadGabeDec 12, 2024
@wonkeythemonkey Google and Meta are example @w3c members, who have a strong interest in being alternative platform structures with full deniability ("look, we're ethical!").
Show threadJESSE JANOWIAK HAS MOVEDDec 12, 2024
@gabe @w3c I don’t see how that contradicts my point about the document’s scope.
Show threadHishamDec 13, 2024

@w3c this last item can be easily interpreted by AI companies as "oh, so we can consume things that are on the web in any way we choose! that is, if you put something on the web publicly, then it is fair game for me to train my models with it! got it!"

They'll claim this interpretation does not violate the W3C ethical principles, because no other listed principle talks about user's rights, except for "privacy", so unless I'm making things private, they claim it's for grabs in the "open web".

Show threadHishamDec 13, 2024

@w3c they'll say they do not violate individuals' control and power because it was the people's choice to make data public and they still have control to take it offline (after the damage has been done). They'll even claim they are environmentally sustainable because "in principle" they could be doing it with nuclear power plants (if only the government did not get in the way).

These principles are insufficient to denounce mass AI scraping which makes old-school piracy seem like child's play.

Show threadOsma A 🇫🇮🇺🇦Dec 12, 2024
@w3c
Oh, man. Doesn't really seem like anything we see on the web is any of this or that any of the so called web companies follow these principles. Nice aspirational statement, though.
Show threadRicardo HarvinDec 12, 2024

@osma @w3c Aspiration is the purpose.

This isn't a statement of what is, but rather a statement of what should be.

Show threadJak2k 🏳️‍🌈Dec 13, 2024
@w3c @scy Imagine how great the web would be, if browsers and website authors respected this…