The rapid uptake of the World Wide Web by consumers and businesses is certain to progress well into the future. Unless its gets too dangerous. There is a point where people will turn away from any good thing if the dangers become to severe. People will stop visiting beautiful parks if they believe they are likely to be assaulted. People will not shop in areas where they think they will be robbed. People will stop travelling to countries where they believe they will be targets of terrorists. Safety is quite foundational on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
It’s hard to imagine people turning away from their smart phones, e-mail, and their social media and e-commerce web sites. However unless practical solutions are identified that address the growing security and privacy threats on the Web, I believe that rapid adoption will be impeded and many of the benefits of the Internet will not be realised.
