World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee used the 32nd anniversary of his creation to urge a global effort to strengthen connectivity for young people in the post-COVID era.
In a blog post marking the occasion and part of the #WebChampions campaign, Berners-Lee highlighted young people who are stepping up to confront major challenges such as COVID-19, inequality, and climate change. He praised their leadership and argued that better, fairer internet access is essential to empower the next generation to shape their world.
Despite the web’s potential, many young people lack reliable access. As the world focuses on “building back better” after the pandemic, Berners-Lee and Web Foundation co-founder Rosemary Leith urged global attention on expanding and improving connectivity—the infrastructure that allowed millions to work, study, campaign, and stay connected during lockdowns.
“As we repair and rebuild, we have an opportunity to reimagine our world and create something better,” Berners-Lee and Leith wrote. “The web’s power to catalyse change can and must help shape the world we want.”
Data from the International Telecommunication Union shows that roughly one-third of young people have no internet access at all. Many more face poor-quality connections, lack the devices they need, or cannot afford sufficient data—barriers that prevent them from participating fully in education, work, and civic life.
Matthew O’Neill, Head of Networks at NTT DATA UK, noted that the pandemic exposed stark disparities in connectivity and broadband speeds worldwide. He said the increased reliance on online services over the past year has highlighted these gaps and created an urgent call to action for governments and service providers to collaborate on solutions.
Estimates suggest around 2.2 billion young people lacked the stable internet access necessary to continue their education during the pandemic. While vaccines and public health efforts offer hope that the current crisis is coming under control, the world must learn from this experience to be better prepared for future emergencies.
“Connectivity has proved itself to be absolutely essential during the coronavirus crisis, keeping lines of communication open and helping to maintain some sort of normality,” O’Neill added. “With remote working set to remain in place long into the ‘post-COVID’ world, connectivity and ubiquitous fibre broadband will be more important than ever.”
Improving infrastructure alone is not enough. Berners-Lee and Leith warned that when young people do get online, they often encounter abuse, misinformation, and harmful content that can silence them or drive them off platforms—especially those targeted because of race, religion, sexuality, disability, or gender. Protecting the safety and voice of young users is vital to ensure they can participate fully as future leaders.
Global leaders are being urged to invest now in the connectivity that will close opportunity gaps. The Web Foundation’s Alliance for Affordable Internet estimates that $428 billion in investment over the next decade would provide adequate internet access for everyone worldwide. While the figure is substantial, analysts point to much larger potential economic gains from universal connectivity.
Research cited by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change estimates that achieving universal broadband in the developing world by 2030 could generate about $8.7 trillion in economic benefits—an argument that frames universal internet access as both a moral and economic priority.
Berners-Lee has previously called for reforms to protect the web’s openness and resilience. His 2019 “Contract for the Web” raised concerns about centralization, government shutdowns, censorship, and excessive power concentrated in a few large companies. The emerging Web 3.0 movement, which explores decentralizing technologies such as blockchains, seeks in part to revive Berners-Lee’s original vision of a web without a single controlling authority or a single point of failure.
To truly “build back better” after the pandemic, Berners-Lee and other advocates say the international community must prioritize increasing global connectivity, combating online discrimination, countering misinformation, and reducing the ability of governments or a few corporations to dictate online access and content. Strengthening these areas will help protect democratic participation, economic opportunity, and social resilience as the world adapts to the post-COVID future.
(Image Credit: Web Foundation)