Facebook Free Internet Project: Does It Violate Net Neutrality? Mark Zuckerberg Speaks Up
Mark Zuckerberg visited India for the second time and defended his company's plans to expand Internet access in the modern world on Wednesday, according to ABC News.
He had a meeting with the students at the Indian Institute of Technology about Internet.org, a program that offers basic internet access using android devices. It now has 15 million users within 24 countries with domination in Africa and Asia, reported in ABC News.
During an hour-long pitching of questions and answers, Mark Zuckerberg said that he wanted to reach India since only 130 million of the country's population out of 1 billion has internet access.
He then explained that Internet.org is "an open platform that any developer can build something for, regardless of who they are, as long as they follow the basic rules of what Internet.org is," according to Time.
Internet.org offers a minimal version of Internet access to lessen the use of data. Despite the good offer of the program, it garnered criticisms from the world's biggest Democratic country. They argued about how Facebook controls companies and independents benefits to Internet.org.
Facebook has collaborated with several mobile phone companies around the globe to provide free access to websites especially job sites, news, health information and many more using the mobile app Free Basics, according to International Business Times.
He stated that connecting Indians is "one of the most important things we can do for the world," it's about all the students, entrepreneurs and others that the rest of the world doesn't have access to because people here (in India) don't have access to the Internet," he added in a statement reported in International Business Times.
Mark Zuckerberg defended that the platform supports net neutrality and referred to Europe and US new rules about free online offerings that will exempt Facebook, according to The New York Times.
In support to net neutrality he said, "With Free Basics, we are letting developers offer zero-rated services," according to Facebook's CEO. "This is powerful. We are not being a filter of any content going through that."
Internet.org has been recently renamed to Free Basics and collaborated with India's Reliance Communications. "We deeply care about servicing the Indian community and giving them the best tools. That's why I want to be here," Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and Facebook's CEO said, reported in ABC News.