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Facebook's Free Basics App Has Been Temporarily Banned in India (fastcompany.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the no-you-don't dept.

An anonymous reader writes that Facebook's plan to provide Indians with free access to a number of chosen internet services has run into some big trouble. FC reports: "Indian telecom regulators have reportedly halted Facebook's "Free Basics" mobile Internet service, formerly known as Internet.org, over net neutrality concerns. The controversial program allows mobile customers free access to a limited set of Internet services, including certain online shopping, employment and health sites, Wikipedia and, naturally, Facebook itself. While Facebook has said the program offers limited Internet access to more than 1 billion people, those who might otherwise have none, it's come under fire from net neutrality activists and others in the industry who say it limits users to a walled garden populated solely by Facebook's partners.

4 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Walls are free? by sinij · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I share concerns that such service violates Net Neutrality rules and imposes walled garden on its users. The fact that it is free is irrelevant, as the principle it violates has nothing to do with the cost.

    1. Re:Walls are free? by sglewis100 · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Me? No. Although it's a bad analogy (you can choose to stop using their app and get paid service). And also, yes, I believe there are some people who choose three free meals a day in prison over a life on the streets. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a better alternative for those people, but yes, some people would make that choice.

    2. Re:Walls are free? by xappax · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Facebook's scheme is analogous to giving people a Star Trek replicator that's been programmed to only produce heroin.

      One one hand, replicators are sweet and it's great to get them to more people. On the other hand, since these replicators are obviously just being handed out to get people hooked on heroin, I feel safe saying folks are better off with nothing.

      And by the way, how diabolical do you have to be to take a technology that's already, out of the box, capable of producing virtually anything, and deliberately restrict it to producing only your product?

  2. Free shuttle bus service is the same by climb_no_fear · · Score: 1, Interesting

    So companies that provide free shuttle bus service to their business or a set of businesses like a mall are somehow different than this?