The internet is broken and needs fixing. The search for solutions so far has focused on breaking up Big Tech, massive government intervention or relying on the big companies, like Facebook and Google, to regulate themselves and rescue consumers.
There is another way forward that combines consumer protection standards with engineering expertise. This truly global solution demonstrates the power of an alliance and promises swift enforcement.
For years, users who downloaded free apps on their computers were engaging in a form of digital Russian roulette. They might get what they sought, but they also risked receiving harmful malware or being tricked into buying something they didn’t want. In 2004, the US Federal Trade Commission tried to address these chronic harms. Yet 12 years later, consumer groups had to ask the FTC to investigate further, because the problem had worsened.