The real challenge that Facebook is trying to address with this initiative is to transform ‘internet’ from a non-commodity for unconnected people to an essential commodity like food, clothing, shelter etc.

Applications

These applications, mostly basic services, are related to news, job search, information, basic search etc and include Facebook application as well for communication. A user’s access to these will not be counted towards data access and thus will not be charged. This way, any subscriber can access these website over their phone and be digitally connected.

This initiative is important in the sense it highlights how significantly large number of people in the world are not connected to Internet. They do not know anything about Google, Facebook, Wikipedia or any such sites and cannot imagine to have information access on the tip of their fingers.

Controversy

Internet.org’s initiative of bringing selected apps to the people for free also means the power of choice is taken away from the people. For example, the search engine as part of Internet.org is Microsoft’s Bing and not Google Search. Accessing Google Search will incur data charges, thus people may never know about world’s most favorite search engine.

It also discriminates between services and applications. If there are two e-commerce websites and one is added to the initiative for free access, it becomes part of the marketing and promotion, easily discriminating against the other e-commerce website. Which means, data of one e-commerce is free while data for the other e-commerce website is charged … and this goes against Net Neutrality where internet data and traffic is to remain neutral and unaffected.

Also, the concept promoted behind this initiative feels like Facebook is the Internet and not just part of it. Similarly other apps are promoted as if they are the sole representative of the category rather than just one app among many.

Criticism

Most experts and think tanks have criticized Internet.org for promoting business initiatives of selective companies to unconnected people of the world rather than genuine promotion and propagation of internet and its usage. It is seen as enlarging user-base by hiding behind grad idea of easy and free internet access.

In 2015 a user experience survey was carried out and following was the result (copied from Wikipedia)

In 2015, researchers evaluating how Facebook Zero shapes ICT use in the developing world found that 11% of Indonesians who said they used Facebook also said they did not use the Internet. 65% of Nigerians, 61% of Indonesians, and 58% of Indians agree with the statement that “Facebook is the Internet” compared with only 5% in the US.

In India the criticism has been particularly harsh and support for Net Neutrality has grown tremendously, so much as that many companies who had joined the initiative (such as Flipcart), distanced themselves after realizing the strength of backlash from the people.

What the future holds?

It is yet to be seen where these initiatives will end up. Google’s Project Loon is aiming to bring internet to remotest parts of the world and while Facebook aims to bring basic services to unconnected people. While on the surface these are quite philanthropic initiatives but where corporate objectives are concerned, nothing is free.

Khurram Zahid

The post The Controversy Surrounding Internet.org appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

What is Net Neutrality?

Following is the definition of Net Neutrality:

“Net neutrality requires that the internet be maintained as an open platform, on which network providers treat all content, applications and services equally, without discrimination.”

In simple words, no discrimination regarding internet traffic and data. ISPs are able to identify particular traffic such as browsing, audio stream, video stream, torrents etc and some either provide separate data packages for certain services (VoIP Calls, video stream etc) or able to restrict some (throttling peer-to-peer traffic).

Net Neutrality emphasizes no discrimination of traffic and of consumers’ right to use any traffic for the available data caps.

Why Net Neutrality?

Some ISPs deployed certain features such as preventing peer-to-peer connections to reduce torrent downloads, restricting video sharing websites (like YouTube) at certain time of the day for network traffic management and charging extra for some services such as VoIP calls and Messages. Some ISPs exclude certain services from data plans, particularly VoIP calling, making it expensive to use these services which should have been free (imagine paying for Skype-to-Skype call from mobile).

These restrictions and extra charges are considered discrimination based on data and Net Neutrality is about freedom of data over the internet. It should not matter to ISPs if the particular data traffic is of internet browsing, YouTube, torrent download or live-stream music, they should be part of data plan offered by the service providers.

Other Side of the Story

ISPs raise their own concerns regarding Net Neutrality. Some networks get choked during peak hours, half of that traffic due to torrents and YouTube. To control that, many ISPs attempt to restrict these services for better internet experience.

Some Telecom companies argue that VoIP calls and message services are not subject to regulations like telecom companies, and they earn huge revenues with little investment; thus these services should be taxed. As some explain, roads and highways have toll tax for maintenance for smooth travel experience of the cars. Similarly telecom companies are digital highways and companies providing VoIP and messaging service should share their revenues with them or with the government.

Where Pakistan Stands?

Pakistan is still stuck at Cyber Crime Bill. The ad-hoc website banning, as in the case of YouTube and several others, restricts information access and current form of the bill criminalizes even criticism on the government. Still, Net Neutrality is considered an important development in the world and organizations such as Internet Policy Observatory Pakistan and Digital Rights Foundation are part of global coalition for Net Neutrality called https://www.thisisnetneutrality.org/

Broadband and telecom companies have not hindered any services or levied extra charges that would suggest their stance against Net Neutrality, and most services that are blocked are on government orders (such as YouTube). However, allowing free browsing of Facebook and Twitter is considered against Net Neutrality because other social network platforms are being discriminated by giving access to only Facebook and Twitter. Since there are no Net Neutrality laws in the country, such practices are legal.

Khurram Zahid

The post World Debates Net Neutrality While Pakistan Stuck at CyberCrime appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.