An appeal for a free, decentralized internet

The internet as we know it today is a place of contradictions. On the one hand, it offers endless possibilities: knowledge, networking, creativity, and freedom. On the other hand, it is increasingly characterized by monopolies, data hunger, and an alarming dependence on a few platforms. But it wasn't always like this—and it doesn't have to stay this way. In this article, I want to explore the question of what the internet should actually be like. Not from the perspective of the tech giants, but from the perspective of those who use it: all of us.

The basics: open protocols for a free network

The internet is based on open protocols. HTTP, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is the foundation of the World Wide Web. It enables us to visit websites, share content, and move around freely. The same applies to SMTP, the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, which regulates email traffic. Both protocols are open, standardized, and accessible to everyone. This means that anyone can operate a server, host a website, or set up an email address without having to rely on the permission of a corporation.

Open protocols are the basis for a free and equal internet. They ensure that no one controls the network—and that there is no “property” that can be monopolized. But in recent years, we have moved further and further away from this idea. 

The Web vs. digital content: The power of links

What distinguishes the World Wide Web from merely digitally accessible content are the cross-references—the links. They literally form the network. Links allow us to jump from one page to the next, inform ourselves, discuss, and discover new perspectives. Links are the basis for a decentralized structure in which everyone can be part of the whole.

In practical terms, this means that everyone has the opportunity to publish their work and find a potentially global audience. With the advent of blogs in the early 2000s, this became even easier. Platforms such as WordPress made it possible to run your own website without any technical knowledge. Blogs were not only a way to publish content, but also a space for feedback and discussion. Comment functions enabled multi-sided communication, which is now considered the origin of social media.

The departure from the free internet

But a lot has changed since the early 2010s. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter made it incredibly easy to connect with other people, build reach, and generate attention. The price for this was high:

• Loss of control over our own data: The content we share on these platforms no longer belongs to us. The platforms can do whatever they want with it—and earn billions from it.
• Scrutiny of users: Our data is collected, analyzed, and sold to advertisers. The goal: targeted marketing that makes us consume more.
• Closed systems: Cross-references to destinations outside the platform are penalized. Links often lead to reduced reach or are not possible at all.
• Dependency: When we want to leave a platform, we often cannot take our data with us. Our reach, our contacts, our content—everything stays behind.

The result is an internet dominated by a few corporations. An internet that is no longer free and open, but controlled and commercialized.

How the web should be: freedom, openness, and connectivity

So what should the internet be like? The answer is simple: it should be what it was originally intended to be. A place of freedom, openness, and connectivity. A place where we have control over our data and can decide for ourselves how we connect and communicate.

In concrete terms, this means:

1. Own websites instead of platform dependency: We should rely more on our own websites again. Our own website gives us control over our content and our data. It is our digital home—a place where we can express ourselves without having to submit to the rules of a platform.
2. Networking through links and comments: The web thrives on networking. By linking to each other and exchanging comments, we create a lively, decentralized network.
3. RSS as an open protocol: RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an often underestimated tool. It allows you to subscribe to content from websites – without algorithms, without tracking, without advertising. RSS is an example of how the internet can work: open, transparent, and user-oriented.
4. ActivityPub and the Fediverse: For the social web, there is ActivityPub, an open protocol that powers the Fediverse. Platforms such as Mastodon (microblogging) and Pixelfed (images) show how social media can function without monopolies. In the Fediverse, we have control over our data and can move freely between different instances.

An appeal: Be the internet!

The internet is not the property of a few tech giants. It belongs to all of us. But to reclaim it, we must take action. Don't leave the internet to the corporations out there—be the internet!

• Create your own websites.
• Use open protocols such as RSS and ActivityPub.
• Connect with each other—through links, comments, and joint projects.
• Support platforms that are committed to openness and freedom.

The internet as it should be is not a utopian dream. It is a possibility that we can create every day. Let's do it!

I translated this article from my German blog. That's not something I plan to do all the time. The next article will be exclusively for you at Mobi 👻 again!