Changes

Since its launch in 2013, several net neutrality activists have criticized Free Basics for its "zero rating", which is the preferential treatment of certain websites or streaming services, over others. This results in an uneven playing field, and magnifies barriers to access on the Internet. Facebook's initiative does this by providing 'Free Basics', a collection of sites that relay weather, health and local data for users. <ref>[https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Internet.org+criticism Internet.org Criticism. Retrieved 12 Nov 2015.]</ref>

Since its launch in 2013, several net neutrality activists have criticized Free Basics for its "zero rating", which is the preferential treatment of certain websites or streaming services, over others. This results in an uneven playing field, and magnifies barriers to access on the Internet. Facebook's initiative does this by providing 'Free Basics', a collection of sites that relay weather, health and local data for users. <ref>[https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Internet.org+criticism Internet.org Criticism. Retrieved 12 Nov 2015.]</ref>

====India====

===Access Numbers===

Another controversial point is the possibility of inflated numbers of connectivity. At a 2015 December town hall held at the [[Indian Institute of Technology]] in Dalhi, Zuckerberg said that Free Basics had brought 15 million users online, a million of which came from India. According to Mashable, Zuckerberg also claimed that half of the people who came to Free Basics opted to pay to access the whole Internet.<ref name="mashable"></ref>

 

===Case Study: India===

When Facebook first began operations in India, only 15% of its population of 1.1 billion people had access to the internet.<ref name="youtube"></ref> Free Basics' potential in India had initially seemed quite large.In 2015 September, Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi had said in a town hall at Facebook's headquarters that "India has 600,000 villages, and most people get scared when they hear this number. My vision is to connect them all with optical fiber cable in the next five years.<ref name="mashable">[http://mashable.com/2016/02/09/why-facebook-free-basics-failed-india/ Why India rejected Facebook's 'free' version of the Internet], Mashable.com. Published 2016 February 9. Retrieved 2016 April 23.</ref>

When Facebook first began operations in India, only 15% of its population of 1.1 billion people had access to the internet.<ref name="youtube"></ref> Free Basics' potential in India had initially seemed quite large.In 2015 September, Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi had said in a town hall at Facebook's headquarters that "India has 600,000 villages, and most people get scared when they hear this number. My vision is to connect them all with optical fiber cable in the next five years.<ref name="mashable">[http://mashable.com/2016/02/09/why-facebook-free-basics-failed-india/ Why India rejected Facebook's 'free' version of the Internet], Mashable.com. Published 2016 February 9. Retrieved 2016 April 23.</ref>

This main criticism -- that Free Basics had a limited number of partners and only a single service provider -- was one that Facebook contested. According to Chris Daniels, Vice President of Internet.org, "There is no exclusivity with Reliance in India. There are other telecom operators who are interested, but it seems the criticism has slowed down the conversation. Reliance is just our first partner in India and there are countries where we have multiple partners."<ref name="opening"></ref>

This main criticism -- that Free Basics had a limited number of partners and only a single service provider -- was one that Facebook contested. According to Chris Daniels, Vice President of Internet.org, "There is no exclusivity with Reliance in India. There are other telecom operators who are interested, but it seems the criticism has slowed down the conversation. Reliance is just our first partner in India and there are countries where we have multiple partners."<ref name="opening"></ref>

====Egypt====

===Case Study: Egypt===

Following the actions of India, at the end of 2015 December, Egypt also pulled the plug on Facebook, which had been launched two years prior with the local telecommunications company, [[Etisalat Egypt]]. Facebook estimated that this shutdown resulted in the loss of internet for 3 million people in Egypt. Etsilat Egypt and the Egyptian government declined to comment to AP about the shutdown.<ref name="ap">[http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4b0654ec892d429d94261beae145f68c/free-internet-service-over-3-million-egyptians-shut-down Free Internet service for over 3 million Egyptians shut down], AP.org. Published 2015 December 30. Retrieved 2016 April 23.</ref>

Following the actions of India, at the end of 2015 December, Egypt also pulled the plug on Facebook, which had been launched two years prior with the local telecommunications company, [[Etisalat Egypt]]. Facebook estimated that this shutdown resulted in the loss of internet for 3 million people in Egypt. Etsilat Egypt and the Egyptian government declined to comment to AP about the shutdown.<ref name="ap">[http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4b0654ec892d429d94261beae145f68c/free-internet-service-over-3-million-egyptians-shut-down Free Internet service for over 3 million Egyptians shut down], AP.org. Published 2015 December 30. Retrieved 2016 April 23.</ref>

==References==

==References==