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  • Free Basics By Facebook Vs. Net Neutrality

    Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator

    Updated: Oct 26, 2024
    Views: 1.3K
    Facebook wants to launch Free Basics in India with an 'altruistic' aim to help connect the millions of people in India to the Internet by offering free Internet. Facebook has partnered with Reliance Communications so that it can offer free Internet access to over 30 select websites. If the user accesses these websites, they won't have to pay any data charges.

    Now this all looks very good. But you and I know that Facebook certainly isn't doing any charity. Facebook basically needs all the people in the world on their platform so that they can keep selling advertisements; and is ready to spend money to pay for people's Internet access.

    In a nutshell: This means that those 30 websites will be accessed more and users will have no specific reason to access the competing websites by paying for the data charges. This basically destroys that whole concept of net neutrality; which says that users should be able to access all the websites either by paying same amount of charge or no charge at all (in an utopian world).

    The 30 websites selected by Facebook (including itself) are getting undue advantage and is actually against net neutrality.

    Would love to hear your thoughts on Free Basics (internet.org) and net neutrality. What are your thoughts?
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Replies

  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Sep 28, 2015

    Kaustubh Katdare
    Would love to hear your thoughts on Free Basics (internet.org) and net neutrality. What are your thoughts?
    Probably it is like any promotional stunt. Up to the user to take it or leave it. Those getting carried away by the freebies will have to bear the fall out.
    However, many may not be aware of what this actually implies. So this sort of enlightening post from CE will help the user to make an informed choice rather than an unwary 'OOPS! I didn't know that before' acceptance.
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  • Bijay Krishna Nandi

    Member • Sep 28, 2015

    Kaustubh Katdare
    Facebook wants to launch Free Basics in India with an 'altruistic' aim to help connect the millions of people in India to the Internet by offering free Internet. Facebook has partnered with Reliance Communications so that it can offer free Internet access to over 30 select websites. If the user accesses these websites, they won't have to pay any data charges.

    Now this all looks very good. But you and I know that Facebook certainly isn't doing any charity. Facebook basically needs all the people in the world on their platform so that they can keep selling advertisements; and is ready to spend money to pay for people's Internet access.

    In a nutshell: This means that those 30 websites will be accessed more and users will have no specific reason to access the competing websites by paying for the data charges. This basically destroys that whole concept of net neutrality; which says that users should be able to access all the websites either by paying same amount of charge or no charge at all (in an utopian world).

    The 30 websites selected by Facebook (including itself) are getting undue advantage and is actually against net neutrality.

    Would love to hear your thoughts on Free Basics (internet.org) and net neutrality. What are your thoughts?

    Truly said and I totally agree with you. Apart from this, I just want to know how you and your team came with this idea of having a forum and how you guys manage to promote it. I mean its really good to have views on current matters be it technical, commercial, political or anything. also is there any revenue you earn having this. I am from electrical background so I have no idea on this. So if possible can you share??
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Sep 28, 2015

    #-Link-Snipped-# - That's a totally different topic: <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/the-story-of-crazyengineers-how-ce-came-to-life.38227">The Story Of CrazyEngineers - How CE Came To Life</a>

    Let's stick to net neutrality and freebasics here 😀
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Sep 28, 2015

    Kaustubh Katdare
    That's a totally different topic: <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/the-story-of-crazyengineers-how-ce-came-to-life.38227">The Story Of CrazyEngineers - How CE Came To Life</a>
    Good to see The Updation at work.
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  • Vikram S Bargah

    Member • Sep 29, 2015

    H#-Link-Snipped-# on internet.org
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Sep 29, 2015

    Thanks #-Link-Snipped-# . The list is very interesting! Some of the entries have gotten my attention -
    • ESPN CrickInfo
    • BabaJob
    • Aaj Tak - and similar websites
    • OLX
    now there won't be any charge to access these websites; which means users will tend to use these services more over the others; for which they will have to pay. If OLX is on FreeBasics, what chance does Quick have? If BabaJob is offering job listings for free; then what chance to other jobs websites have to compete?

    I see majority of the media companies have gotten on the Internet.org list - because they won't make any noise against the whole net neutrality thing.
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  • Rucha Wankhede

    Member • Jan 15, 2016

    According to a latest study, Facebook is 'Internet' for 58% of people in India. There are FB users who don't know they are on internet.What this implies is a no-brainer; absolute suzerainty of one corporate giant in the long run especially in developing countries like India where digital literacy is not up to the mark.

    The garb of philanthropy under which it is trying to achieve all this, is the worst of all. If people are going hungry how will they afford internet or better data plans. It is totally mean to show them the benefits with the freebies and then tempt them to spend more money to get more out of it, because it is something most people will fail to do.

    Agreed it isn't totally devoid of benefits but it comes at such a hefty price that it is so not worth it.
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  • Shashank Moghe

    Member • Jan 15, 2016

    I don't want to digress, but does it surprise anyone that Reliance is partnering on this initiative by Facebook? It did not surprise me one bit. And that's my filter: read moral guide: (against Free Basics).
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Jan 15, 2016

    Shashank Moghe
    but does it surprise anyone that Reliance is partnering on this initiative by Facebook?
    I won't blame any corporate. Free basics is still a business and Reliance is being a part of it. Flipkart too was a party to the initiative; but backed out after public outrage on Twitter and other social media.

    That said, I've been hearing the chatter that the digital India initiative will provide 20 minutes of Free Wi-Fi to every citizen; and of course the Government will pay for it. I'm somehow 'OK' with the Government offering free wireless over a private corporation.
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