Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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

Posted by timothy on from the bits-is-bits dept.

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.

13 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. CDs by gbjbaanb · · Score: 3, Funny

    All we need now is for Facebook to release initial access to this app to users via CD distribution methods and the old internet will be new all over again!

    1. Re:CDs by itzly · · Score: 4, Funny

      and call it Africa On Line ?

  2. Like the 100 mpg carburetor by rmdingler · · Score: 2

    Will this app be bought out and buried by the Facebook?

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:Like the 100 mpg carburetor by Wycliffe · · Score: 2

      Will this app be bought out and buried by the Facebook?

      There is no need to buy a piggyback program when it's much easier to just detect and block it.

    2. Re: Like the 100 mpg carburetor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      "The only other thing I would add is Khan Academy." This gets to the heart of it- by acknowledging the drawbacks of this blinkered view of the web you just shot your own argument down.

      (p.s. it's not free, you pay with your personal information and privacy)

    3. Re: Like the 100 mpg carburetor by operagost · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    4. Re: Like the 100 mpg carburetor by operagost · · Score: 2

      Which product do you think "real" internet providers will have trouble competing with: free Internet.org, with access to only a few whitelisted services, or the hacked (but still free) Internet.org that allows you to go anywhere? Without the hack, you get basic access for free, and if you have some cash you can buy full access from a local company. With it, there are few reasons to pay anymore.

      So this guy basically just wants to give everyone free access to the complete internet, because entitlement.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  3. Re:Thereby allowing facebook MITM attacks. by sherr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No, there's no reason that you couldn't tunnel an encrypted (SSL) connection.

  4. Isn't Google basically the Internet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How do you have access to Google and not the rest of the Internet through that? Do you just get Google's apps (minus search)?

    1. Re:Isn't Google basically the Internet? by jpapon · · Score: 2

      I would assume you could see search results but can't open any of the links... which would be incredibly frustrating.

      --
      -- Let us endeavor so to live that when we pass even the undertaker shall be sorry. -- M. Twain
  5. Re:Because some free Internet is worse than none by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

    Or something.

    Something is better than nothing, but the people doing nothing will whine about something.

  6. Against TOS by Nukenbar · · Score: 2

    Clearly against the terms of service and will quickly be patched and disabled. Being critical of facebook in this instance seems a little office base. They are clearly getting limited access that they would not already have. No one is entitled to everything for free.

  7. Internet? by Darinbob · · Score: 2

    Hmm, if there is no internet in those places, but Facebook can add an "app" to get internet access, then I end up confused. How does the Facebook app get to the internet if there is no internet access? Maybe this is for mobile phones, but even then if a mobile phone can get to Facebook then it can obviously get to anywhere else on the internet. Or is Facebook rolling out its own access points in poorly connected parts of Africa for Facebook app access only?