As we look back on 2025, it’s clear that the internet as we know it is changing. Information is being removed from the web or locked away. We are experiencing a crisis in the commons, driven in part by current AI development practices. New systems are emerging in response—from content monetization schemes and licensing agreements designed to protect large rightsholders, to the ongoing morass of lawsuits about how AI services are using content as data. We are in the midst of a major reconfiguration of how we share and reuse content on the web.

As we’ve discussed before, the rise of large artificial intelligence (AI) models has fundamentally disrupted the social contract governing machine use of web content. Today, machines don’t just access the web to make it more searchable or to help unlock new insights; they feed algorithms that fundamentally change (and threaten) the web we know. What once functioned as a mostly reciprocal ecosystem now risks becoming extractive by default.

At Creative Commons, we’ve long believed that binary systems rarely reflect the complexity of the real world—nor do they serve the commons very well. The internet, like the communities that built it, thrives on nuance, experimentation, and shared stewardship. That’s why we’re continuously working to introduce choice where there has been little, and to advocate for systems that acknowledge the diversity of values and needs across the web.

Lauren Queen is a fundraising specialist and former professional performer. She joined Creative Commons as a Development Manager in 2025. Prior to working with CC, she worked as a fundraiser at various NYC-based nonprofit organizations that ranged in focus from the arts to restorative justice. Lauren now resides in the DC area with her geriatric…

After almost 15 years of dedicated service, Dr. Cable Green, our Director of Open Education, will be moving on from Creative Commons (CC).  

Creative Commons and the TAROCH Coalition (Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage) announce the launch of the Open Heritage Statement, now open for signature by governments, organizations, and institutions worldwide. Developed by more than 60 organizations across 25 countries within the Coalition, the Statement defines shared values, highlights key challenges, and sets action-oriented priorities for closing the global gap in equitable access to heritage in the public domain.

Annemarie joined Creative Commons in 2025, supporting the organization’s external communications, messaging, and brand work. Before CC, Annemarie worked at a variety of nonprofits, including Coffee House Press, the Hennepin County library system, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Her sweet spot is at the intersection of digital engagement, storytelling, and narrative change.…

“A Turn in the Road” by Alfred Sisley (1873), CC0, Art Institute of Chicago, remixed with “TAROCH balloon” by Creative Commons/Dee Harris, 2025, CC0. The (Under-Realized) Potential of Open Heritage To understand our present, we need to know our past: our memories, our history, our heritage. Over the last two decades, pioneers of open heritage…

New channel guidelines & requirements New channels should: Serve a community need not met by existing channels New channels must: Have a minimum of one designated moderator The number of moderators should scale with channel activity Be public, unless reasonable justification is provided for channel being private Align with Creative Commons’ mission or build community…