It’s been a little while since we heard anything about Free Basics by Facebook — the successor to its Internet.org project which aims to provide access to a number of online services, free of charge, in developing countries (63 in total) — but a new report slams the services
It’s been a little while since we heard anything about Free Basics by Facebook — the successor to its Internet.org project which aims to provide access to a number of online services, free of charge, in developing countries (63 in total) — but a new report slams the services
On the face of it, this is a good thing, but Free Basics from Facebook has certainly not been without its controversies: the service was banned in India and Egypt, for example. Now a report from Global Voices — a “global anti-censorship network of bloggers and activists dedicated to protecting freedom of expression online” — has published a damning report about the service.
The report notes that Free Basics is less about giving internet access to people living in developing countries, and more about making sure that Facebook has a presence in those countries. The service, however, has been heavily criticized for providing what amounts to a “poor internet for poor people, ” but this is far from being the only accusation that is levelled at Free Basics. Global Voices’ report suggests, in particular, that the scheme is little more than a tool for collecting data about people and abuses privacy.
The report says:
But as well as being a creepy data-gathering tool, Free Basics is also cultural insensitive and inappropriate. It is noted that in “heavily multilingual countries including Ghana, Pakistan and Philippines, the app is offered in only one local language, ” for instance, and there is a distinct lack of local content.
Far from bridging the gap between those who are online and those who would not otherwise be, Free Basics is accused of creating a two-tier internet which violates the principles of net neutrality — something which already led to it being banned in India. Other findings from the report include:
Facebook argues that giving people limited access to the internet is better than them having no access. The social networking giant is also dismissive of the report, saying:
Facebook has not elaborated on what the alleged inaccuracies are.
Image credit: Julia Tim / Shutterstock
