Inventor of Internet calls for digital bill of rights

The British inventor of the World Wide Web wants a digital bill of rights to protect Internet users from surveillance.

Speaking on the 25th anniversary of his creation, Tim Berners-Lee says he hopes to spark a global conversation about the need to defend principles that have made the Web successful.

He told the Guardian newspaper that the Web was under increasing attack by governments and corporate interests. He said the system needed an online Magna Carta, or foundation of rules, to protect its openness and neutrality.

Berners-Lee said in a statement Wednesday he believes the Web should be "accessible to all, from any device, and one that empowers all of us to achieve our dignity, rights and potential as humans."