Video
‘Don’t trust people who do that’ - Web inventor slams Tories for misinformation campaign
The inventor of the World Wide Web, sir Tim Berners-Lee has criticised the Conservative party for spreading misinformation during the general election campaign. Photo: PA - Credit: Archant
The inventor of the World Wide Web has criticised the Conservative party for spreading misinformation during the general election campaign.
After the Tories rebranded their press office's Twitter account as a fact checking body, Sir Tim Berners-Lee accused the party of "unbelievable" impersonation.
The Conservatives made their Twitter account appear to be an independent fact-checking organisation for the duration of the debate, even declaring that Boris Johnson had won the debate before returning their Twitter to its usual use.
In an interview with the BBC, Berners-Lee said: "That was really brazen. It was unbelievable they would do that.
"It was impersonation. Don't do that. Don't trust people who do that.
You may also want to watch:
READ MORE: Tory party criticised after disguising Twitter as 'Fact Check UK' during ITV debate
Most Read
- 1 Michael Gove claims Boris Johnson is a 'huge asset' to Scotland
- 2 Sky News presenter says Boris Johnson is 'gaslighting the nation' over Covid claims
- 3 Home Office launches voluntary repatriation scheme for EU nationals
- 4 Brussels politician says Boris Johnson should 'pay for EU workers to stay' in UK
- 5 Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid reject Boris Johnson's coronavirus claim
- 6 Nigel Farage reminded of claim that 'acid test of Brexit' surrounds fishing after clip resurfaces
- 7 Jeremy Corbyn loses bid to release Labour documents ahead of High Court battle
- 8 Boris Johnson is the 'worst PM' and should resign, says Alastair Campbell
- 9 David Cameron's wife says Brexit has made trading 'difficult' for her business
- 10 Pro-Brexit fishing campaigner says Boris Johnson's deal has left her with 'no fish'
"What the Conservative Party has done is obviously a no no. That's amazingly blatant."
Sir Tim Breners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, and has always backed its use by everyone for free.
Thirty years after he created the web in Geneva, Berners-Lee now tells the BBC he is concerned about the way it has developed.
Berners-Lee went on to draw a comparison between what the party did and someone impersonating a friend for the purpose of defrauding them.
READ MORE: Polling expert warns Remainers must unite behind Jeremy Corbyn to stop Boris Johnson
READ MORE: Nicky Morgan laughed at as presenters slam 50,000 more nurses Tory manifesto 'deceit'
Elsewhere in the interview, Berners-Lee went on to call on Facebook to stop allowing political adverts on its platform, following a similar decision made by Twitter.
Berners-Lee appealed to the company's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, to ban them before the election.
He said: "It's not fair to risk democracy by allowing all these very subtle manipulations with targeted ads which promote completely false ideas. They do it just before the election, and then disappear."
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
