Facebook's Internet.org scheme has stirred up controversy in
India
Facebook says it will allow more websites and other online
services to join its "free mobile data" Internet.org scheme.
The announcement follows a backlash against the initiative.
Opponents suggest it compromises the principles of net
neutrality, because it favours access to some sites and apps
over others.
But Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg said it was "not
sustainable to offer the whole internet for free".
"It costs tens of billions of dollars every year to run the
internet, and no operator could afford this if everything were
free," he said in an online video posted to Internet.org's
website .
Mr Zuckerberg says it is more important to widen internet
access than defend an "extreme definition" of net neutrality
"But it is sustainable to build free basic services that are
simpler, use less data and work on all low-end phones."
One leading Delhi-based campaigner suggested that protests
against the offer would continue.
Opening up membership
Internet.org allows subscribers of partner mobile networks to
use a limited number of online services without further charge.
Networks operators participate because they believe users will
pay for wider internet access once they have had a chance to
try out the free content on offer.
Since 2014, the project has launched in Zambia, India,
Colombia, Guatemala, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines
and Indonesia.
The Internet.org app provides access to information from
third-party services
To access the facility, people must use special Android apps,
Internet.org's website, Facebook's own Android app or the
Opera Mini browser.
Until now, the scheme had been typically limited to a few
dozen services in each country.
They include the Wikipedia encyclopaedia, the Facts for Life
health site run by the United Nations Children's Fund, BBC
News, Facebook, Accuweather and a selection of local news
and sports results providers.
But the project will now be widened to allow other developers
to join what is being called the Internet.org Platform.
To qualify, they must meet three criteria:
they cannot be data-intensive. Videos, high-resolution
photos and internet-based voice and video chats are
among the banned content
they must be able to run on cheaper feature phones as
well as more powerful smartphones. To ensure this is the
case, the use of JavaScript, Flash, the secure HTTPS
communications protocol and certain other web-based
products are not allowed
they should encourage the exploration of the broader
internet if possible, to encourage users to ultimately pay
for access
Sites that join up to Internet.org will not be able to use
HTTPS encryption
Although these terms will continue to restrict membership, Mr
Zuckerberg said that people should not prevent others from
using the internet in order to defend an "extreme definition of
net neutrality".
"Are we a community that values people and improving
people's lives above all else, or are we a community that puts
the intellectual purity of technology above people's needs?" he
asked.
Tracking activity
But one volunteer for the SaveTheInternet.in campaign said it
remained opposed.
"Because of the competitive aspect of Internet.org, if my
competitor is on it, I will feel compelled to be on it as well,"
said Nikhil Pahwa.
"And all of this data will be available to Facebook and -
because of the lack of HTTPS - that data can also be sniffed
by telecom operators and by governments."
Facebook has confirmed that it will be able to track users'
online activity.
"Yes, we do know what users are accessing. We do have some
of that information. But all of it is governed by Facebook's
standard data policies," Chris Daniels, the firm's vice-
president of product, told the Hindustan Times .
Analysis: Simon Atkinson - Editor India Business Report
Until a few weeks ago, net neutrality wasn't a phrase many in
India knew much about.
But with it seemingly under threat, a video by a group of
comedians went viral, and suddenly it was a huge talking
point in the papers, on TV and of course online.
Hundreds of thousands of people have contacted India's
regulators.
And with pressure ramped up, some of the country's biggest
online businesses - including travel app Cleartrip and
ecommerce firm Flipkart - pulled out of deals deemed to have
breached net neutrality principles, including membership of
Internet.org.
Whether Facebook's move to open up the scheme will see it
win back those partners will probably depend on whether
public mood changes.
And even if the initiative is no longer perceived to have frozen
some developers out, many of India's start-ups and other fast
growing businesses may decide they have more important
priorities than adapting their services to meet Facebook's
criteria.
No comments:
Post a Comment