This App Lets You Piggyback Facebook's Free Internet To Access Any Site

sarahnaomi writes In countries like Zambia, Tanzania, or Kenya, where very few have access to the Internet, Facebook is bringing its own version of the net: Internet.org, an app that gives mobile users free access to certain sites such as Google, Wikipedia and, of course, Facebook. While the initiative has clearly positive goals, it's also been criticized as an "imperialistic" push for Facebook colonies, where novice Internet.org users will grow up thinking their restricted version of the web is the real internet. To fight against that possibility, a 20-year-old developer from Paraguay is working on an app that tunnels the "regular" internet through Facebook Messenger, one of the services free to use on Internet.org's app. This allows Internet.org users to establish a link to the outside, unrestricted internet, circumventing restrictions.

Comments

Re: Like the 100 mpg carburetor

[ironicsky]

Greedy? They are providing FREE Internet to the third world. I hardly consider that greedy.

They developed it as an education and communication tool, allowing access to Wikipedia, Google and Facebook.

That gives them access to knowledge, news, email, chat and other communication tools.

The only other thing I would add is Khan Academy.

Re: Like the 100 mpg carburetor

[operagost]

This is the kind of thing that makes it hard to be altruistic.

Do nothing, but give lip service to social action, and everyone loves you.

Do something, and be endlessly criticized for not doing more.

This is true for both companies and individuals, by the way. If you ever make a great effort to help friends or family that are having a hard time, prepare for them to criticize you to everyone who will listen for not doing more.