What is it ?
It is a platform for providing free access to internet for users who subscribed particular telecom network presently, Reliance in India.
All the traffic will be free for the FreeBasics/Internet.org and associated website. Rest of the internet will be charged.
It appears good why everyone is opposing ?
Sustainability of Social Network lies in number of people connect through it. facebook is dominant one in this situation. It now aims at reaching to hitherto not connected population. This move will give facebook to access about 20% of population of world which is either in remote areas or too poor to access the internet.
BUT, FreeBasic platform is proving free access to some website which is selected by facebook itself. Means facebook will decide which is good for us.
It says "Data" which will be generated by it will not be used by facebook. Come on are you kidding. facebook a company which survives on data will not use data from it.
Facebook concept of equality, Give poor to access to some websites free and charge for others. Actual concept of equality, give access to all the internet at low cost or free of cost. It is more like Digital apartheid than Digital Equality
In current version facebook is sole authority to decide who will be the partner in the project. Means facebook will posses monopoly over network. This will result in restriction on innovation over the FreeBasics network.
New services which are innovative and enhances the productivity will have to conform the facebook marketing strategy. Otherwise you are not allowed by facebook.
Corporate with deep pockets will pay and get access to the platform but small and innovative startup will loose the competition. It will ensure rich will be rich and poor remain poor by ceasing their opportunity for fair competition.
This situation will also limit the potential of poor population which will access the internet through FreeBasics because the technology/ website/ portal which will not join FreeBasics will remain inaccessible from them.
For Example, if Whatsapp would have emerged in time where net is flowing through FreeBasics then certainly service would not have been same as it is today, because facebook would have manipulated Whatsapp in the manner where facebook can save million of dollars which it had to spend for buying Whatsapp. Since facebook messenger was loosing market shares to Whatsapp.
Promotion of unhealthy competition is also a threat. e.g. If Flipkart subscribe for platform and Snapdeal does not then Flipkart will be taking advantage of the situation and it is also possible that Flipkart and facebook may go in secret pact which will disqualify any other e-commerce to ensure Flipkart holds monopoly on it.
Therefore, bottom line is that internet which is out of control from any particular organisation is pain full for many ones. That's why they are trying to control it by playing emotive card of free for poor under the grab of equality.
So Mr. Mark you are genius but we are not fools. If you really intent to server the cause so make it promising.
