4 ms·

How do they determine what sites get the free traffic? If I start a social networking site tomorrow, how does it get the free traffic that Facebook gets?

diego_moita 9y ago
Fair question, the page doesn't say it. But it is important to notice that, for networking, they also have Facebook competitors like Twiter, Snapchat and LindedIn. This seems quite the opposite of privilege to providers. It is quite possible they also have other sites less famous in Portugal (e.g.: HN, Reddit).
- Goronmon 9y ago
  But that's exactly how it undermines Net Neutrality. It gives an advantage to the entrenched businesses because either smaller/newer businesses won't get the same advantages, or they do, but people won't know that (or don't want to worry about it) so they still stick with the entrenched businesses. How can there be competition on the internet if people are encouraged to only use "approved" websites and platforms?
- AlexandrB 9y ago
  > But it is important to notice that, for networking, they also have Facebook competitors like Twiter, Snapchat and LindedIn. These are all 800lb gorillas in the social networking space. If there was a new Facebook competitor it would not be on that list until it was relatively huge. Notice that ello, Mastodon, and other upstart social network are missing even though they've been around for a while now. The problem is that now a new social network is not just fighting the network effects of Facebook (already a huge hurdle), but also economic incentives from ISPs to keep using Facebook, since you get cheap data for it. If this becomes the norm, I think it's only a matter of time until services like Facebook offer ISPs incentives to zero rate their traffic - especially on limited mobile plans. Arguably the most problematic category there is not "social networks", but "video". The volume of traffic that streaming video uses on mobile dwarfs just about everything else. If I wanted to compete with Youtube on mobile how could I do it in an environment where Youtube gets special treatment from ISPs and I don't?

diego_moita 9y ago

Fair question, the page doesn't say it. But it is important to notice that, for networking, they also have Facebook competitors like Twiter, Snapchat and LindedIn. This seems quite the opposite of privilege to providers. It is quite possible they also have other sites less famous in Portugal (e.g.: HN, Reddit).

Goronmon 9y ago
But that's exactly how it undermines Net Neutrality. It gives an advantage to the entrenched businesses because either smaller/newer businesses won't get the same advantages, or they do, but people won't know that (or don't want to worry about it) so they still stick with the entrenched businesses. How can there be competition on the internet if people are encouraged to only use "approved" websites and platforms?
AlexandrB 9y ago
> But it is important to notice that, for networking, they also have Facebook competitors like Twiter, Snapchat and LindedIn. These are all 800lb gorillas in the social networking space. If there was a new Facebook competitor it would not be on that list until it was relatively huge. Notice that ello, Mastodon, and other upstart social network are missing even though they've been around for a while now. The problem is that now a new social network is not just fighting the network effects of Facebook (already a huge hurdle), but also economic incentives from ISPs to keep using Facebook, since you get cheap data for it. If this becomes the norm, I think it's only a matter of time until services like Facebook offer ISPs incentives to zero rate their traffic - especially on limited mobile plans. Arguably the most problematic category there is not "social networks", but "video". The volume of traffic that streaming video uses on mobile dwarfs just about everything else. If I wanted to compete with Youtube on mobile how could I do it in an environment where Youtube gets special treatment from ISPs and I don't?