Web 3.0 : governance, risks and safeguards

CITATION: Bruwer, H. J. & Rudman, R. 2015. Web 3.0 : governance, risks and safeguards. Journal of Applied Business Research, 31(3):1037-1056, doi:10.19030/jabr.v31i3.9241.The original publication is available at http://www.cluteinstitute.com/journals/journal-of-applied-business-research-jabr/Many organisations consider technology as a significant asset to generate income and control cost. The Web is recognised as the fastest growing publication medium of all time. This mass of unstructured information presents many new opportunities for organisations. The Web acts as an enabler for technological advancement, and has matured in its own unique way. From the static informative characteristics of Web 1.0, it progressed into the interactive experience Web 2.0 provides. The next phase of Web evolution, Web 3.0, is already in progress. Web 3.0 entails an integrated Web experience where the machine will be able to understand and catalogue data in a manner similar to humans. This will facilitate a world wide data warehouse where any format of data can be shared and understood by any device over any network. Organisations need to be ready, and acquire knowledge about the opportunities and risks arising from Web 3.0 technologies. The objective of this study is to investigate the risks an organisation will be exposed to when interacting with Web 3.0 technologies. The study proposes to provide insight into the risks arising from the use of Web 3.0, and to recommend possible safeguards to mitigate these risks to an acceptable level.http://www.cluteinstitute.com/ojs/index.php/JABR/article/view/9241Publisher's versio