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Meanwhile, in the Philippines, we embraced this 'Free Basics' concept (or almost like it). All mobile data providers here provide free access to Facebook. <ran

by john2x 9y ago

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, we embraced this 'Free Basics' concept (or almost like it). All mobile data providers here provide free access to Facebook. <rant> I personally blame this as a big part of why our country's government is in its current state. With unrestricted free access to Facebook, it was exceedingly easy to spread memes/fake news about how "bad-ass and cool" Duterte is and how hilariously incompetent the opposition is. And it's still going on today. It is now used as a propaganda machine, up to the point where one particular Facebook page owner spreading memes/fake news now holds an official position in the government, thanks to their 'services'. </rant>

t1o5 9y ago
In India we got lucky this time that the TRAI ( Regulatory Authority ) rejected the proposal even though Mr Z personally visited PM Modi to get his support including a town hall in IIT. Facebook even employed questionable tactics to get support for this. Eventually it did not work out. Now Google, with its Indian origin CEO is trying his hand by providing free wifi at Indian Railway stations. Everyone now wants a chunk of a growing economy like India to convert its people to "products". Indian authorities should be smart enough to differentiate between the good & bad things that giants like Facebook & Google can do to the country, its economy and nowadays even its stability.