W3C presents ethics guidelines for a sustainable and open web
The W3C wants to strengthen the fundamental values of the World Wide Web with new ethical rules. It also calls for the protection of resources and personal data.
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The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published basic ethical rules for the web. In these, the consortium calls for sustainability, privacy and accessibility for different platforms. The principles are intended to serve as a guideline for ethical thinking and action within the web industry. Developers, authors and reviewers in the W3C community are called upon to consider the fundamental values of the web and to think about the consequences of their actions.
W3C: The web should respect the privacy of users
The W3C views the World Wide Web as a platform that supports people and creates social benefits. The aim is to create a networked and informed society through communication and the exchange of knowledge. To this end, the W3C has drawn up twelve basic ethical rules. For example, the organization calls for the protection of privacy and personal data. Users should always be aware of the consequences of providing their data. Overall, the web must not harm society and must be accessible to all people worldwide.
The W3C also calls for the sustainable use of resources. Providers should minimize the use of computing power and storage space and make devices usable for as long as possible through backwards compatibility. The web must also be equally accessible across different devices, operating systems and browsers. It is important to prevent large companies from centralizing the web. Users should also be able to install browser extensions and block unwanted content, such as scripts or advertising. W3C founder Tim Berners-Lee also recently called for more privacy and a decentralized web.
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Ethics guidelines supplement design and privacy guidelines
The W3C is a committee for the standardization of the World Wide Web. It develops technical specifications and makes recommendations for the development of websites. The Technical Architecture Group, a working group within the W3C, has been working on the ethics guidelines for over two years. It is not a formal standard, but a guideline that the W3C has formally reviewed and supports. It supplements technical guidelines, such as the basic rules on design and privacy.
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