from news.com.au: The scientist credited with
inventing the World Wide Web spoke out against what he called a “growing
tide of surveillance and censorship,” warning that it is threatening
the future of democracy. 
 

Sir Tim Berners-Lee (pictured), who launched the Web in 1990, made the remarks
as he released his World Wide Web Foundation’s annual report tracking
the Web’s impact and global censorship. The index ranked Sweden first in
Web access, openness and freedom, followed by Norway, the UK and the
United States.

“One of the most encouraging findings of this
year’s Web Index is how the Web and social media are increasingly
spurring people to organise, take action and try to expose wrongdoing in
every region of the world,” said Mr Berners-Lee.

“But some
governments are threatened by this, and a growing tide of surveillance
and censorship now threatens the future of democracy,” he said, adding
that steps need to be taken to protect privacy rights and ensure users
can continue to gather and speak out freely online.