The scientist credited with inventing the World Wide Web says a growing tide of surveillance is threatening democracy's future.

Tim Berners-Lee, who developed the Web in 1990, has been a vocal critic of Internet surveillance. He said Friday that as more people use the Internet and social media to "expose wrongdoing," some governments are feeling threatened.

He said the result is a "growing tide of surveillance and censorship" that threatens the future of democracy, warning that "bold steps" must be taken to protect privacy rights and the freedom of opinion online.

His remarks came ahead of the launch in London of a report ranking which countries best use the Web. Sweden was ranked first, followed by Norway, the U.K. and the United States.