Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the 2013 TechCrunch Disrupt conference.
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Under this program, Facebook offers pared down internet connectivity services on mobile devices along with the Facebook social network and messaging services at no fee.
“India’s telecom regulator made a decision to restrict programmes that provide free access to data”.
All of which suggests that while providing internet to those without it is undoubtedly a good thing, doing so while providing only access to your own software and services doesn’t wash in the slightest. This also means that programmes such as Free Basics would not be allowed in India.
Nevertheless, patrons of web neutrality who claimed that information suppliers must not favour some online services over others opposed it.
Indian authorities today took the dramatic step of banning “differential pricing” for data services, effectively outlawing controversial offers such as Facebook’s Free Basics and Airtel Zero. Net Neutrality’s arguments in this context focus on the negative impacts of such services on competitors. “We know that connecting them can help lift people out of poverty, create millions of jobs and spread education opportunities”, Zuckerberg said in the post.
And it goes on to clarify that “this prohibition shall not apply to other forms of tariff differentiation that are entirely independent of content. For instance, providing limited free data that enables a user to access the entire Internet is not prohibited”.
Our work with Internet.org around the world has already improved many people’s lives. “We care about these people, and that’s why we’re so committed to connecting them”, Zuckerberg added.
“While disappointed with the outcome, we will continue our efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an easier path to the Internet”, Facebook said in a statement.
“Our goal with Free Basics is to bring more people online with an open, non-exclusive and free platform”, said a spokesperson for Facebook. But Zuckerberg argues that Free Basics, used by millions worldwide, is about bringing more people online.
“We must connect everyone to the full potential of the open Web”.
According to critics of Free Basics, Facebook would make it hard for smaller companies to compete and reach people.
It’s certain that Free Basics will continue to come in for criticism, but Zuckerberg is a man on a mission.
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CNIL is was particularly strict of Facebook’s policy of collecting user data even after an user had logged out of Facebook using cookies and gave it an ultimatum to stop implementing such cookies in future.
