If you’re good at something, never do it for free. In fact, as we’ve grown up hearing, nothing in life is free. There is always a cost involved.
Facebook’s internet.org may have sounded philanthropic, but in 2015, it sparked a big net neutrality debate in the country. Now, Facebook users have begun to receive notifications to send Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) a message in support of ‘Free Basics’. But what the hell is it?
What’s Free Basics?
Facebook says that Free Basics is a campaign, which it claims is the “first step to connecting one billion Indians to opportunities online – and achieving digital equality in India.”
It’s basically old wine in a new bottle. Free Basics is the rebranded version of internet.org. It is open to any developer and any application that meets basic technical requirements. While it sounds good, Facebook is still a for-profit organisation.
Will Free Basics Create an Unfair Internet Access Model?
The internet.org blog says it won’t, but the truth is that it definitely will. Facebook says that Free Basics is designed to promote an Internet access model that is free and non-exclusive.
The Free Basics platform is free for end users. It is also free for content partners (ie, the services that partner with Free Basics). How will Facebook provide equal access to an MNC and a startup content partner?
Facebook does not require content partners to pay to be included in Free Basics. Then why have only a few shown interest?
The terms and conditions of Free Basics requires a developer to get permission from Facebook and its partners. In fact, the submission of your website for inclusion does not guarantee that it will be made available through the platform.
Also the Internet.org terms and conditions for developers state, “In order for your content to be proxied as described above, your URLs may be re-written and embedded content (like javascript and content originating from another domain) removed.”
Essentially, this gives Facebook the power to monitor what it chooses to offer as part of Free Basics. Not so free, is it?
The company says that neither Facebook itself nor its content partners pay the operators for the data people consume through Free Basics. It’s been found in the past that telco partners were charging for data used by internet.org users. What’s the guarantee that this won’t happen with Free Basics?
Finally, Free Basics is not exclusive to any operator, and Facebook is willing to work with any operator that wants to provide free basic services. Then why has only Reliance Communication shown interest as an exclusive partner in India? Why not other big players in India, like Airtel and Vodafone?
Because nobody else has come forward, new adopters will see Reliance Communication as the default option for Internet services.
The fun fact here is that the users do not choose which sites will be available on Free Basics, it’s Facebook and its partners who decide what the Internet is for a young adopter.
That means, the first page of the internet for new adopters becomes Facebook, making the two synonymous.
Sure, one could argue that if you are on Google Chrome, Google Search becomes your first page to the Internet (you can change that, by the way). But Google does not restrict your usage to only those sites that it deems fit. It’s a search engine, which means, it’s essentially your gateway to the rest of the Internet. Facebook is a social media platform – getting you to the rest of the Internet is not its priority.
In Africa, millions of Facebook users have no idea that they are using the Internet at all. That speaks for what Free Basics is trying to achieve in India.
Facebook is Bullish on Free Basics
Facebook recently posted that 4 out of 5 Indians support Free Basics in India. These results are from a survey with a sample size of just 3,094 people. This is supposed to reflect the Indian Internet user base of over 375 million.
The survey says that 86% of respondents supported Free Basics when presented with arguments for and against the service. Additionally, more than 80% of respondents support the idea of “free access to a set of useful websites on the Internet”.
But as is evident from the fact that every news channel touts itself to be no 1 in India, surveys can be notoriously inaccurate.
Also, keep in mind that Free Basics is capable of creating a global digital divide: Users who use the platform will get a completely different selection of services as opposed to countries where there’s open web. Remind you of China, yet?
Free Basics will, once again, ignite a debate on net neutrality in India.
Facebook, right now, is like a coke dealer. It will entice a customer base with an initial taste. And once they’re addicted, it’ll get them to pay up for more.
But the concept of net neutrality means equal access to the entire internet, not just free basics or walled gardens. The Internet is not a single page or a selection of websites that get priority over others. Equal access is exactly that – treating all content on the Internet as equally important.
So before you send TRAI a support message for Free Basics, think about it for a moment. You could be signing a death warrant for the same Internet access you think you’re fighting for.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)