Lately, I often hear about Web4 in the community, and honestly, at first I wondered if it was just another buzzword or if there was really something concrete behind it. So I started digging a little, and the story is more interesting than it seems.

Let's start with the basics. When we look at the history of the Internet, we usually divide it into phases: Web1.0 was the initial period, where content was created by individuals but accessible to everyone. Then came Web2.0, and everything changed — suddenly, big tech companies took control of both content and platforms. This centralized a lot of the Internet, so to speak.

Then Web3.0 emerged with blockchain and decentralized technologies. The idea was good, but the problem is that it focused too much on the technical side, leaving out ordinary users who don’t understand cryptocurrencies and smart contracts at all. This is where Web4 comes into play.

Web4 represents the next evolutionary step, but with a different approach. It inherits the decentralized technology of Web3 but puts the user experience and social impact at the center. The main features? Users control their data and privacy, a decentralized network based on blockchain, token-based economy with incentives, content creator protection, network security, community participation, and distributed governance.

The fundamental difference between Web3 and Web4 is the approach. Web3 emphasizes decentralization and blockchain as core elements. Web4, on the other hand, focuses on user experience and social influence. Web3 uses blockchain and cryptocurrencies, while Web4 adds technologies like artificial intelligence and the semantic web. Web3 aims for decentralized applications, but Web4 wants ordinary users to truly participate and benefit. Web3 is still in experimental phases, whereas Web4 is a vision built on Web3. The business models differ: Web3 relies on tokens and crypto-economics, while Web4 can combine traditional models. And then there’s the regulatory issue — Web3 tends to be anti-regulation, while Web4 will probably have to face more serious government oversight.

Now, the European Union has made an interesting move. The European Commission published a Web4 strategy that goes beyond Web3, defining Web4 as the convergence of artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain, metaverses, and extended reality. A June survey by YouGov and Consensys found that only 8% of people think they understand Web3, so rebranding to Web4 could help shift attention.

The EU’s Web4 strategy is cautious but proactive. The Union is attentive to privacy and security risks of Web3, leaning toward implementing oversight rather than granting total freedom, and wants to learn from Web2.0 lessons through clear standards. They aim to protect children from harmful content, strengthen platform control over user-generated content, implement real-name authentication for traceability, promote user control over data, find a balance between innovation and risk management, consider stakeholders, and create a responsible digital environment.

But of course, it won’t be easy. The EU faces several challenges in guiding Web4 through regulation. There are internal disagreements over emerging technologies, although they generally maintain a cautious stance. The Union believes that Web3 focuses too much on technology without considering social risks. They want to avoid issues like privacy violations, minors’ safety, and hate speech. They are drafting new digital service laws that will require internet companies to take more responsibility. The goal is to learn from Web2.0 and avoid repeating the same mistakes. And naturally, what the EU does will influence the regulatory direction of Web4 in other countries.

The EU is clearly more concerned about the potential social problems of Web3 than about tech companies, so it is actively intervening at the regulatory level. The road ahead is still long, but it’s clear that a new regulatory order for the digital economy is taking shape. The European experience will be an important reference for how other countries approach Web4. It’s worth paying attention to this evolution.