Groups press Facebook to stop ‘disingenuous’ advocacy in India

Dozens of Internet rights groups are pressing Facebook to clean up its “unfounded and divisive” advocacy in India around Free Basics, the social media company’s program to offer limited Internet access for free. The groups believe the program is at odds with net neutrality. And in an open letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, they accuse Facebook of making “disingenuous” claims that the opposition is coming from a small group of critics.

“It is concerning that Facebook — which says it supports Net Neutrality — would attack those who have sought to enshrine this fundamental principle in law,” the groups wrote in the open letter. “Such a move is an insult to millions in the fast-growing global community that cares about safeguarding the open internet.” The letter was spearheaded by the US-based advocacy group Access Now. In addition to dozens of groups around the world, the letter was also signed by advocacy groups Fight for the Future and Free Press, which helped bombard the Federal Communications Commission with form letters during the US fight over net neutrality. The groups said Facebook’s advocacy is playing into the hands of large Internet service providers by “creating a false impression that there is a grassroots movement opposed to net neutrality.” Those telecom companies, which are adamantly against strict net neutrality rules, are challenging the US regulations in court.