Berners-Lee warns of "disinformation" endemic

Calls for websites to have "labels for trustworthiness"

15 September 2008 10:45 GMT / By Katie Scott

Just as CERN has admitted that hackers have "infiltrated" the computer system of the Large Hadron Collider, one of the facility's most famous scientists, Tim Berners-Lee, has spoken of the dangers of the web.

Berners-Lee - the "father of the worldwide web" - spoke to the BBC ahead of the launch of a new foundation, which is hoped will give more people access to the Internet.

He warned that the web is being used to spread disinformation - and pointed to CERN and the rumours that flicking the switch on the LHC (yes - the project which was hacked) could create a Black Hole that could swallow up the Earth.

Berners-Lee is now suggesting a system which would label websites to warn surfers if they are not trustworthy.

He told the BBC: "On the web the thinking of cults can spread very rapidly and suddenly a cult which was 12 people who had some deep personal issues suddenly find a formula which is very believable - a sort of conspiracy theory of sorts and which you can imagine spreading to thousands of people and being deeply damaging".

Berners-Lee, however, did add he recognises how complicated implementing a ratings system could be.

"I'm not a fan of giving a website a simple number like an IQ rating because like people they can vary in all kinds of different ways", he said.

"I'd be interested in different organisations labelling websites in different ways."

Full tags

Software, Online, Websites, Tim Berners-Lee