Photo of Joseph Reagle

Computer & electronics hardware

Joseph Reagle


Year Honored
2002

Organization
World Wide Web Consortium

Region
Global

"Joseph Reagle bikes rather than use polluting transportation. He eats vegetarian so animals are not killed, and brings a quiet but strong sense of social conscience to bear on issues like trust, privacy and intellectual-property rights on the World Wide Web. After earning his graduate degree from MIT’s Technology and Policy Program in 1996,Reagle established himself as a creative thinker at the World Wide Web Consortium, based at MIT. He has driven several initiatives that will dramatically affect online interactions. He led the group that developed a standard way for Web sites to disclose their privacy policies, telling people what might be done with personal information. He coordinated input from far-flung institutions to create rules recognizable by all Web browsers for signing online documents, so people can leave unique stamps verifying that documents have been made or approved by them. Sound like fun? It was for Reagle, who says innovation is not just for technology but for culture. Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, who oversees the consortium, says Reagle is “continually” looking to better the relationship of the Web tosociety."