Addictive algorithms should be illegal, says inventor of the world wide web

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, says that addictive algorithms cause polarisation and should be made illegal, but he does not regret “opening Pandora’s box” with his invention.

Has there ever been an invention which changed the course of human history as much as the world wide web?

It is now 36 years old, an integral part of our daily lives, which has grown far beyond what its British creator Tim Berners-Lee might have imagined for it back in 1989.

“Well, it’s been quite a rollercoaster journey from the initial explosion of it,” he said.

Although it could have earned him a fortune had he patented it, Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave his invention away for free. The ability for everybody to have access to the vast network of information offered on the web was very important to him. He conceived the web as a means of connecting ideas rather than making money.

Of course, today the web is the source of revenue for some of the world’s richest people, including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

One way they have been able to make this much money is by using algorithms, which learn from our data to attract and keep our attention.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to elicit emotion – most often negative emotions like rage.

Tim Berners-Lee explains that social media networks employ deceptive algorithms which can feed you more and more horrible stuff and essentially then make money out of doing that.

So, is it possible to stop that from happening?

“I think there’s a lot of evidence that polarisation in general is due to the social media platforms,” said Berners-Lee.

“The systems are trained to keep people on the platform, so they’re rewarded when somebody stays on the platform because of, for example, some hate speech. One of the things we could do is we could outlaw that. We could say you can make social media platforms; the only thing you can’t do is make them addictive.”

But is that really enforceable? “Well, you have to tell them it’s illegal,” he said.

One of the most significant changes over the past 36 years is how much more accessible the web has become. Gone are the days of dial-up internet at desktop computers, replaced instead by mobile phones – effectively, powerful computers we carry around in our pockets.

There are fears that easy access to social media, in particular, is having a demonstrable effect on mental health, especially of young people.

According to a 2024 World Health Organisation report, more than one in ten teenagers showed signs of problematic social media behaviour, struggling to control their use and experiencing negative consequences.

Tim Berners-Lee still believes children should have access to the web, but not be exposed to algorithms which hook them in.

“I’d like to see you able to buy a smartphone with restricted access to the addictive things for your kids, but they have all the other good things,” he said. “They should have Wikipedia, they should have the ability to call you up, and tell you when they’re coming home. They should have access to the web, just maybe not the algorithms within social media.”

We are at the precipice of another huge change as Artificial Intelligence progresses rapidly.

Sir Tim believes AI will be a positive development for humanity, but is clear that AI must work for us, comparing it to professions such as doctors and lawyers.

When asked whether he believes it should be subject to something akin to the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors, he said: “I think it’s really important to have something like that. You can even legislate it.”

Does he regret inventing the web?

“No, on balance. There are a lot of bad things. But on balance, there’s so much good stuff. I think we need to keep Pandora’s box open. Just fix the pieces which are addictive. That is possible because the people who make addictive systems, they know who they are.”

Tim Berners-Lee’s book ‘This is for Everyone’, charting the story of his invention and the future of the online world, is available now.