Facebook and Google have pledged themselves to a pact formed by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web. The “Contract for the Web” asks internet companies to fight fake news and uphold principles that protect privacy as a human right and promote access for all people. The tech firms say they aspire to these ethical standards already. But meeting these goals will be a challenge without strict government regulations, which they have resisted. Could this new contract make a difference?