Web founder celebrates 25 years with call for internet bill of rights

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Two and a half decades ago, Tim Berners-Lee submitted a proposal that led to the creation of the World Wide Web, and now he's back with knighthood on his side to make sure it stays open and free.

Web We Want is celebrating 25 years since the birth of the internet today with a call to arms for "a free, open and truly global" web, and they need your help to get it.

Spearheaded by internet founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the World Wide Web Foundation and the World Wide Web Consortium, web users are encouraged to throw their name and e-mail address into the hat to keep free, open internet flowing well into the future.

Using these virtual signatures, Web We Want plans to draft an Internet Users Bill of Rights, a global initiative that will be used to encourage governments everywhere to keep "knowledge, ideas, collaboration and creativity" alive and well.

Make that change

"Sixty-five years ago, this vision was laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, we can't achieve it without an open, universal Web," proclaims Web We Want on the home page of their website.

Citing ongoing concerns from governments and corporations alike which "threaten our fundamental freedoms on the Web," the Internet Users Bill of Rights aims to help web users work together and make such proposed change a reality.

In addition to e-signing the petition, Web We Want is asking internet users to celebrate the World Wide Web's 25th anniversary, which began back on March 12, 1989 with a memo penned by Berners-Lee.

Anyone can participate by following @web25 and @webwewant on Twitter, and marking relevant tweets with the hashtag #web25 - but be sure to e-sign the petition first to get the ball rolling!

• While you're here, don't forget to check out our internet speed tests!