Skip to main content

Is Facebook's free internet service really helpful? Study suggests several flaws

Crisis Response Hub
Emevil/123RF
Facebook’s free internet service is designed to offer connectivity to disadvantaged countries but a new study is drawing attention to potential Free Basics flaws. Like India claimed when it banned the service last year, a report by Global Voices suggests that the free internet that prioritizes services like Facebook violates net neutrality. Facebook, however, said that the study is inaccurate and doesn’t include a large enough sample of the areas influenced by the service.

Net neutrality is the idea that all content, websites, and platforms should be treated equally — just like electric service providers do not care if you are plugging in a toaster or a computer, the internet should not be limited based on certain factors. Facebook’s Free Basics internet, while free, does not offer the entire world wide web for free, prioritizing, of course, websites like Facebook but also including many popular websites like Acu Weather, BBC News, and Wikipedia.

Free Basics, the report by Global Voices suggests, is available in 63 countries but even in multi-lingual areas only has one language. While the free internet access is provided in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the limited content available favors the U.S. and the U.K. and not local content, the study claims.

Facebook says that Free Basics, part of the social media company’s Internet.org initiative, is designed to bring the information available on the internet including news, maternal health, local jobs, and local government to areas that are underserved.

Global Voices does say that “some internet is better than none,” but says that the websites and services that are currently available do not meet the biggest needs of those areas. Facebook also collects data from Free Basics users across all websites, not just where they click on Facebook.

Facebook says that the study includes several inaccuracies and is based only on a small number of users in a small number of countries.

“Our goal with Free Basics is to help more people experience the value and relevance of connectivity through an open and free platform,” a Facebook spokesperson told Digital Trends. “The study released by Global Voices, and the subsequent article in the Guardian, include significant inaccuracies. The study, based on a small group of Global Voices contributors in only a handful of countries, does not reflect the experiences of the millions of people in more than 65 countries who have benefited from Free Basics.”

Editors' Recommendations

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
North Carolina town works around state law, gives free internet service to its neighbor
wilson nc fcc internet neighbors 40327424  network cable

A small town figured out a way to help neighbors despite state law. The state of North Carolina told the town of Wilson they couldn't sell high-speed internet service to nearby towns, so the town is providing access for free while appealing to the state General Assembly, according to Ars Technica.

Wilson, North Carolina, has a municipal fiber optic broadband internet service called Greenlight. In compliance with state law, they did not offer it outside the town. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the North Carolina law and a similar law in Tennessee preventing municipal providers from selling service to other towns was wrong and preempted it.

Read more
Report: Facebook in talks with White House to introduce Free Basics in the U.S.
facebook nsfw news policy headquarters zuckerberg

Facebook is reportedly preparing to introduce its free internet program in the U.S., having faced fierce opposition to the venture overseas.

Free Basics by Facebook, which allows users to access specific sites (including the social network, of course) via a free mobile app without draining their data, has thus far been launched in 49 countries.

Read more
Zuckerberg ‘deeply disappointed’ that SpaceX destroyed Facebook’s satellite
facebook quickly turns on safety check following deadly bombing in nigeria mark zuckerberg  ceo at 2

He may be in Nigeria, but Mark Zuckerberg is keenly watching events unfold at home, in particular a mishap that has adversely impacted Facebook’s global internet ambitions.

On Thursday morning, SpaceX (the aerospace transport manufacturer founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk) suffered a huge setback when one of its Falcon 9 rockets exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The accident -- described by SpaceX as “an anomaly” that occurred during the fuel loading process -- also resulted in the destruction of Facebook’s Amos-6 satellite, which was part of the company’s internet-serving venture.

Read more