Today campaigners asserted that Sir Tim Berners Lee’s global standards organization for internet is no more fit for purpose.
The Movement for an Open Web alliance (MOW), claimed that W3C, also known as the World Wide Web Consortium was being ‘hijacked and manipulated by Big Tech’, including Google.
MOW, a consortium of publishers, tech companies, and advertisers, has asked authorities to examine whether W3C’s ‘processes & procedures favor Big Tech’ and are compliant with antitrust laws in Europe, the US and the UK.
W3C was created in 1994 by Sir Tim the computer scientist, who continues to serve as a director. The W3C is an impartial and independent organization that agrees on web standards.
MOW is now suing the British Competition and Markets Authority and the European Commission, as well the US Department of Justice for their concerns about the W3C’s workings.

British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee, pictured in Milan in 2019, set up global internet standards organisation the World Wide Web Consortium, known as W3C, in October 1994

Sir Tim, pictured at his office on June 1998 with the W3C logo and two computers monitors
MOW claims today that W3C is under the influence of Google. Google currently has 106 representative supporting the body while digital businesses typically only have one.
CMA, Information Commissioner’s Office were also attacked by the alliance for their naive assumption that the W3C is truly impartial and independent.
MOW claimed it made ‘formal and detailed submissions’ (to the CMA and DoJ) to the EC, in which it was blaming W3C for bias and favoring tech giants in its decision-making, procedures, and compliance with antitrust laws.
It is a campaign against Big Tech’s hold over the web. The organization also stated that they were disappointed last week that both the CMA and ICO, in separate papers, cited W3C to be the appropriate place for applying universal standards.
MOW stated that Google’s 106 workers assist W3C with its work while other companies are limited to one.
In addition, it noted that the US House of Representatives had released an antitrust study that found Google representatives outnumbered other members of Congress at 106.
The US reported also quoted an American participant as saying that W3C “gives the impression that members work together to improve the website platform. But in fact, Google’s dominant position and rapid pace of adding new features reduces them frequently to discussing and codifying Google’s features and rubber stamping decisions Google already made’.
According to a MOW spokesperson, “In theory the W3C allows tech companies to work together to assess the effects of software or technology changes. They also agree on the steps to take to guarantee unlimited access to all and fair competition.
“But, this is not the case when Google’s new Privacy Sandbox” is concerned.
Google was planning to remove third-party cookies and replace them with a new “Privacy Sandbox”.
This means that users won’t be tracked by advertisers using cookies like traditional cookies. Instead, they will be divided into groups.
MOW claims that this will limit open internet competition because it reduces the information other tech companies, publishing and advertising firms have on their users.
MOW stated that it’s requesting authorities to examine whether W3C’s processes and procedures favor Big Tech or are in compliance with antitrust laws.
The MOW added that if they were not compatible MOW will seek to apply suitable solutions.

W3C was established in 1994. It is an international organization that agrees on web standards.

The Movement for an Open Web alliance alleged that W3C, had been ‘hijacked by Big Tech, in particular Google’. These are images of the Mountain View offices of Google, the tech giant, as seen above
Timothy Cowen, MOW’s legal advisor and head of antitrust at Preiskel & Co, said: ‘The W3C has been captured by Big Tech, even its own antitrust guidelines have not been enforced when they should have been.’
MOW accused W3C, too, of using ‘weak process which allows major players to stack it in their favor.
It added: ‘There are precedents for intervention by the authorities when such issues arise – for instance the mobile phone standards association, GSMA, was found to be similarly biased towards the major operators, when it was investigated by the DoJ in 2019.’
MailOnline has reached out to Google and W3C for clarification.