RSS Feed
February 16th, 2016 
Awake Goy 
Susanne Posel ,Chief Editor Occupy Corporatism | Co-Founder, Legacy Bio-Naturals
The shock of India’s rejection of Internet.org, a non-profit organization spearheaded by Mark Zuckerberg, has left ripples that are turning into questions about the company.
Specifically, how this division of Facebook utilizes an app called Free Basics to access the internet. It is available in 38 countries – mainly the regions of the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Through the app, Internet.org chooses which websites are included in their data package, and which are rejected. In addition, carriers can also refuse access to a website.
Facebook set the criteria for this process.
Free Basics is currently being used to reduce data bills, and carriers use it as part of customer acquisition; however Internet.org has a history of removing people from internet access, rather than the opposite.
Once the carrier has redirected the use to Facebook’s servers, all requests run through the company via proxies which gather data from websites and displays it to the user.
Currently, Internet.org users have just over 30 websites to choose from; including Wikipedia, the Facts for Life health site run by the United Nations Children’s Fund, BBC News, and a weather site. And considering there is an estimated 2 billion websites on the internet, this Facebook app only provides users with 0.02% of the current internet potential.
Beyond that limited selection, user data is being collected with the intent to monetize advertising.
Between Internet.org and Free Basics, it is clear this is a “zero-rating” content scheme wherein a portion of the content is provided beyond a normal data plan. This is often viewed as anticompetitive and a violation of net neutrality.
The Facebook-controlled alternative internet set up for those with limited access to the web is a customer data-mining dream while “simultaneously getting credit for providing a massive good for humanity.”
Three years ago, Zuckerberg revealed the Android driven app that was sold as a promise to 5 billion people without internet access.
Internet.org was the brainchild of a coalition whose members include:
• Facebook
• Ericsson
• Media Tek
• Opera
• Qalcomm
• Samsung
According to the website, Internet.org “is a global partnership between technology leaders, nonprofits, local communities and experts who are working together to bring the internet to the two thirds of the world’s population that doesn’t have it. Sharing tools, resources and best practices, Internet.org partners will explore solutions in three major opportunity areas: affordability, efficiency, and business models.”
Hans Vestberg, president and CEO of Ericsson said: “We are committed to shaping the Networked Society (NS) – where everyone and everything will be connected in real time, creating freedom, empowerment and opportunity to transform society.”
The founding members of the coalition have promised to:
• Collaborate on joint projects
• Share industry knowledge
• “Mobilize” the industry
• Work with governments to bring the internet to developing nations
Related Posts
Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OccupyCorporatism/~3/BGyJkrwkUnY/
Posted in 
Tags: 
