You all would be aware of the Net Neutrality campaign last year and many of you might sign a petition against Internet.org by Facebook in collaboration with few Indian telecom operators and others.Last time TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) asked a user to sign their views regarding the Internet.Org since millions of users signed against Internet.org in support of Net Neutrality, TRAI asked Facebook not to impose this.Now again the same thing comes under a different name- Free Basics.
On hearing the word everyone might think that Free Basics is actually to provide basic things (data usage) for free.But that is not the case here.It is actually the same old wine (Internet.org) in a new bottle.How Facebook actually fools users is by showing notification as "XYZ, ABC and 2 more friends sent a message to TRAI about Free Basic send your own message".Most of us on seeing the notification will choose to send a message.This is actually a trap and the friends those who supported this could most probably signed misled unknowingly.Once you sign for Free Basics you can not revert it.What Facebook does is, it uses this message as a count for their Free Basics which is actually against the Net Neutrality.
What is this Free Basic stuff..?Our airwaves and wireless spectrum belong to us, the citizens of India. The government of India temporary licenses this on our behalf to telecoms under some terms and conditions and those terms have always pushed for the development of India, including our poor.Free Basics violates Net Neutrality and puts internet behind bars.There is no freedom in using your favorite site.
Imagine this situation, as a citizen of India you are allowed to make use of the full bandwidth and spectrum allocated for you by the Telecom.But when this Free basic comes up you can only use Facebook and other Facebook claimed sites which you would ever visit.No Google, No YouTube, No Tech Sites and Nothing.To visit your favorite site even Google you need to pay telecom's which fractures internet by paid sites and free sites. This situation clearly violates the Net Neutrality.What Facebook claims is that they are bringing Digital Neutrality but this is not neutrality.Facebook says it is doing this out of some charitable aim to get more of India online.But the fact is not correct if they are doing this as a charity then why Facebook is spending about 100 Crore rupees on Ads.?And for small sites and business, you need to advertise on Facebook to make your site visited by Audience.Unless you advertise your business can't reach its customers.This also suits big business also.
Like Free Basic other biggies would also start their own free things with their own sites which would make internet fractured.If really Facebook wants every Indian online and if it truly cared it should have donated some amount of data say 500 MB per month free for every user.This will make every user digitally connected without a bridle.
Once again TRAI asked digital users to raise their voice regarding this issue.To support for Net Neutrality you can mail TRAI.You can also visit Save the Internet by some folks and sign the pre-filled petition.
Stand to vote for Net Neutrality! Share this as much as you can to save the Internet.
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