Is it really that hard to read like, the very next sentence on the page where he explains exactly what he means? "When you use a web app today, you usually connect to its developers' servers. This is backwards, and leaves them in control."

Also since when does "billions of people use it" mean something isn't broken? Lots of ubiquitous things are very, very dysfunctional.

Anyways this all seems very pie-in-the-sky but Kenton Varda is an incredible person. I'm very interested.

Broken implies non-functional. It's broken, so it can't be used. The web isn't broken. Sure it can be made better, though.

If the function you're looking for is integrity or privacy, the statement stands.

I agree that the copy is quite off-putting (not just the "web is broken" bit), but damn if I'm not intrigued by the concept.