5 Ways We Can Stop Them From Killing the Web in 2025
The open web is under threat from AI spam, monopolies, and privacy erosion. Discover 5 actionable ways you can help save the internet in 2025.
Alex Rivera
A digital rights advocate and tech journalist focused on the open internet.
The Slow Poisoning of the Open Web
It’s a feeling we all share. The search results are getting worse, flooded with low-quality, AI-generated slop. Our social feeds feel less like communities and more like algorithmically-charged shopping malls. Our data is harvested, packaged, and sold with a casual disregard for our privacy. This isn't a sudden death; it's a slow poisoning. The vibrant, chaotic, and creative open web we once knew is being systematically eroded by a handful of powerful forces. But who are "they"? They aren't a shadowy cabal, but rather a convergence of trends:
- Platform Monopolies: A few tech giants control our primary gateways to information and connection, prioritizing profit over user experience.
- Unchecked AI Proliferation: Generative AI, in the wrong hands, is flooding the internet with synthetic, untrustworthy content, devaluing human creativity.
- Surveillance Capitalism: The business model of the modern web is built on tracking our every move.
- Regulatory Erosion: The weakening of principles like Net Neutrality threatens to create a two-tiered internet: a fast lane for corporations and a slow lane for the rest of us.
By 2025, these trends will reach a critical point. But the web isn't dead yet. It's fighting back, and we are the antibodies. Here are five concrete ways we can stop them from killing the web.
1. Champion the Indie Web & Decentralization
The first step in saving the web is to consciously step outside its walled gardens. The "Indie Web" is a movement to take back control of our digital identities from centralized social media platforms.
Break Free from the Algorithm
Instead of relying solely on platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, we can diversify our digital presence. Think of it as owning your online home instead of renting an apartment from a massive corporation.
- Start a Blog or Personal Site: Platforms like WordPress, Ghost, or even static site generators give you full control over your content and how it's presented. This is your sovereign space on the web.
- Embrace RSS: Remember RSS feeds? They’re back and more important than ever. Use an RSS reader (like Feedly or Inoreader) to subscribe directly to the creators and sites you love, bypassing manipulative algorithms.
- Explore the Fediverse: Decentralized social networks like Mastodon and Pixelfed are part of the "Fediverse." They are not owned by any single company and are run by interconnected communities. It’s a return to a more people-centric social experience.
2. Demand & Build with Ethical AI
Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but its current trajectory threatens to bury the web in a mountain of low-effort, synthetic content. The fight isn't against AI itself, but for its ethical and responsible application.
Reward Authenticity and Demand Transparency
We must become more discerning consumers and creators of information.
- Support Human-First Content: Pay for quality journalism. Support creators on platforms like Patreon. Prioritize content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
- Advocate for AI Labeling: We need clear, universal standards for labeling AI-generated content. When you see a news article, image, or video, you should know if it was created by a human or a machine.
- Use AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: If you are a creator, use AI to assist, not replace, your process. Use it for brainstorming, coding help, or grammar checks, but ensure the final product is imbued with your unique human perspective and expertise.
3. Reclaim Your Digital Privacy & Data Ownership
You are not the product. The pervasive tracking that underpins the modern web is a choice, not an inevitability. Reclaiming your privacy is a powerful act of resistance.
Adopt Privacy-First Tools
Changing your digital toolkit can dramatically reduce your data footprint.
- Switch Your Browser: Move away from Chrome. Browsers like Brave, Firefox, and DuckDuckGo's browser have built-in tracking protection.
- Change Your Search Engine: Use search engines like DuckDuckGo or Brave Search that don't profile you or track your search history.
- Use a VPN: A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address, making it much harder for your ISP and other third parties to snoop on your activity.
- Support Data Privacy Legislation: Advocate for strong, GDPR-like privacy laws in your country that give users the right to own and control their data.
4. Support Open-Source & Community-Driven Projects
Proprietary, closed-source software locks us into ecosystems we can't control or inspect. Open-source software (OSS) is the antidote. Its code is transparent, auditable, and belongs to the community.
Vote with Your Downloads (and Dollars)
Every time you choose an open-source alternative, you weaken the grip of monopolies.
- For Productivity: Instead of Microsoft Office, try LibreOffice. Instead of proprietary messaging apps, use Signal.
- For Creativity: Use GIMP instead of Photoshop, or Kdenlive instead of Premiere Pro.
- Contribute Back: You don't have to be a coder to contribute. You can help by reporting bugs, improving documentation, donating to projects you use, or simply spreading the word about their benefits.
5. Advocate for Net Neutrality & Fair Regulation
Net Neutrality is the foundational principle that all data on the internet should be treated equally. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should not be able to block, slow down, or charge extra for specific content or services. Its erosion is one of the biggest threats to the open web.
Make Your Voice Heard
This is a battle fought in the halls of government, but it's fueled by public pressure.
- Educate Yourself and Others: Understand what's at stake. Explain to friends and family why a tiered internet would stifle innovation and silence independent voices.
- Support Advocacy Groups: Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Free Press are on the front lines of this fight. Support them with donations or by amplifying their message.
- Contact Your Representatives: Let your elected officials know that you support strong, enforceable Net Neutrality rules. Public demand is a powerful catalyst for political action.
| Feature | The Walled Garden Web (The Threat) | The Open & Revived Web (Our Goal) |
|---|---|---|
| Content Discovery | Algorithmically controlled feeds pushing engagement bait and sponsored content. | Direct subscriptions (RSS), community curation, and search that prioritizes quality. |
| Data & Privacy | Constant surveillance is the default. Your data is the product. | Privacy is the default. You own and control your personal data. |
| Innovation | Stifled by monopolies who can buy or crush any competitor. | Flourishes through open-source collaboration and a level playing field. |
| Creator Economy | Creators are subject to the whims of platform rule changes and unfair revenue splits. | Creators have direct relationships with their audience and control their own monetization. |
Conclusion: The Future is in Our Hands
The web of 2025 doesn't have to be a dystopian landscape of AI spam and corporate control. The future of the internet is not something that happens to us; it's something we build, every day, with our choices. By championing the indie web, demanding ethical AI, reclaiming our privacy, supporting open-source, and advocating for fair rules, we do more than just resist. We actively build the web we want to live in—one that is open, creative, and empowering for everyone.