Facebook’s Zuckerberg speaks on Free Basics and India

Recently, the public has observed how Facebook seems so obsessed with India, improving the internet connection and making things a lot easier to its citizens. The public wondered and some even begun asking why. If you are one of them, you don't have to wonder no more. Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has taken it upon himself to explain.

During a question and answer session held in New Delhi's Indian Institute of Technology, Zuckerberg said that one of the reasons was partly because of Facebook's 130 million members from India, which was the second highest number of members next to the US. Zuckerberg said that at the core of Facebook's mission in India, is the company's effort to bring the internet to millions of Indians who remain unconnected to the internet.

India also saw Zuckerberg unveil his project internet.org, which is now rebranded as Free Basics, during his visit to the country last October 2014. Internet.org or Free Basics is a free, limited internet for subscribers of the Reliance Communications in India. Since its initial launching, internet.org has been drawing criticisms all over the world by net neutrality activists.

At the question and answer session, Zuckerberg attempted to answer these concerns. When questioned whether internet.org supports net neutrality, Zuckerberg answered in the positive. He said that yes internet.org absolutely supports net neutrality. According to him, internet.org is a free platform that any developer can build something for, regardless of their identity. Internet.org will not filter any content going through it, provided that they follow internet.org's basic rules.

But some are confused though, as a post on their website, particularly on its Internet.org participation guidelines page, "submissions do not guarantee that your site(s) will be made available through the Free Basics Platform" drawing ire from some. One founder of a news website is quoted to have said that he doesn't really understand as Facebook is saying and doing two different things. Facebook just wants to draw the internet into Facebook.

Zuckerberg however insisted in the town hall that Internet.org doesn't have any other plans aside from aiming to provide connectivity and within connectivity give access to education, healthcare and financial services to the millions of Indians. Still only the results will tell whether Facebook achieves what they aim through their Free Basics platform and whether it will indeed deliver what it promised the public.