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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has published an editorial [bbc.com] in the Times of India defending his "Free Basics" Internet service plan:

Mark Zuckerberg is feeling the force of critics who believe his effort to provide Indians with free access to a limited number of internet services hurts India's democracy and violates net neutrality. In an unusually pugnacious appeal [indiatimes.com] in the mass-circulation Times of India, the Facebook founder forcefully defended introducing his Free Basics service, "a set of basic internet services for education, healthcare, jobs and communication that people can use without paying for data".

Facebook, Mr Zuckerberg says, has already launched the service in partnership with more than 35 mobile operators in more than 30 countries. He says more than 15 million people have already come online because of the service. "The data is clear," he says. "Free Basics is a bridge to the full internet and digital equality."

So - in a tone which many say mocks critics - Mr Zuckerberg asks: "Who could possibly be against this? Surprisingly, over the last year there's been a big debate about this in India."

[...] "Instead of recognising that Free Basics fully respects net neutrality, they claim - falsely - the exact opposite," [said Zuckerberg.]

But prominent tech activists are not convinced. Nikhil Pahwa, a volunteer with savetheinternet.in [savetheinternet.in], says the Facebook boss has not answered a critical question.

"Why has Facebook chosen the current model for Free Basics, which gives users a selection of around 100 sites (including a personal blog and a real estate company homepage), while rejecting the option of giving the poor free access to the open, plural and diverse web?," he wrote in a stinging riposte to Mr Zuckerberg's personal appeal [indiatimes.com].

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