Facebook’s Free Internet Access Program in Developing Countries Provokes Backlash

Facebook has encountered unexpected criticism to its bold initiative to bring free Internet access to the world’s four billion people who don’t have it, and to increase connectivity among those with limited access.

Former users say Internet.org is providing truncated access to websites, thwarting the principles of network neutrality—the view that Internet providers shouldn’t be able to dictate consumer access to websites. While some applaud the Internet initiative, Facebook is dealing with a backlash from users in some of its fastest-growing markets like Indonesia and India, which are key to its future expansion. The criticism about the initiative has placed Facebook in an awkward position. The social network along with other tech companies like Amazon and Twitter are members of the US industry group Internet Association, which advocates for net neutrality, among other issues. In markets like Indonesia and India, critics say Facebook is more interested in controlling which websites users can tap into than in ensuring free Internet access.