By Kelley Chittenden
Two sources with direct knowledge of Facebook’s discussions
with Egypt over its Free Basics service said the Egyptian government blocked it
because Facebook refused to allow the government to circumvent security and
conduct surveillance on its citizens, Reuters
reports. Free Basics, which allows anyone with a computer or smartphone to
access a limited set of free Internet services was launched in Egypt in October
2015 and used by over three million Egyptians, one third of whom had never
previously had Internet access. Facebook strengthened security protections in
September, allowing users to connect seamlessly with secured sites.
By Kelley Chittenden
Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to “connect the entire world” hit a
speed bump the first week of February when Indian regulators blocked
Free Basics, his free mobile data program. The Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India (TRAI) issued regulations
banning differential pricing for data services in order to restrict the ability
of mobile phone companies to “shape the users’ Internet experience” by offering
free access to certain services. According to The
Guardian, the process began in March of 2015 with a consultation paper
recommending telecom operators be allowed to charge extra for third-party apps
and services such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. TRAI sought public comment
on twenty questions, which led to a “spirited, pro-net-neutrality campaign”
called Save The Internet and 1.1
million responses against differential pricing by late April.
