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back to article In India, Facebook and chums boil the internet down to 38 websites

Some people in India can now visit a gang of Western websites without being charged for the mobile data traffic – a handy way to boost user numbers globally for the moneybags corporations involved. Internet.org, a partnership between Facebook and proper tech companies, is behind the special offer to get more people hooked on …

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  1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Holmes

    biggest robber-baron turned philanthropist of all time Bill Gates

    Let's not get into excesses of rhetoric here, shall we?

    Robber-baron? Biggest? Sharp practices, yes. But at least it was all rather above-board.

    5 6 Reply
    1. beast666
      Reply Icon

      Bill and Melinda have put billions into good causes. Good on them.

      Calling him the biggest robber-baron does him and his wife a dis-service.

      You should be ashamed.

      3 8 Reply
      1. Tac Eht Xilef
        Reply Icon

        Robber Barons

        Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Melon, J.D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, etc were known for their philanthropy too.

        Doesn't change the fact that they were the original robber-barons, after which everyone since is compared...

        6 1 Reply
        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          How's about that then?

          Indeed. In fact a veneer of philanthropic tendencies is often deliberately used to mask all manner of ills.

          2 1 Reply
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    prediction

    "The Indian service puts 38 sites on the free-to-view list, including Wikipedia, BBC News, a Reuters feed on farm prices, and assorted healthcare, education, job sites, and – of course – Facebook."

    A ton of porn gets uploaded to Wikimedia Commons or Facebook

    0 0 Reply
  3. solo

    Net neutrality

    And what is their stand on this issue in US again?

    0 0 Reply
  4. DropBear

    Not sure how things in India are working, but meanwhile here in Europe I use practically zero mobile data (WiFi is a different ballgame) and considering what it costs, I damn well intend to keep it that way indefinitely. Then again, in my case, either way would make zero difference for Zuck (hint: no FB...)

    1 0 Reply
  5. Lyndon Hills 1

    a tad unfair?

    a partnership between Facebook and proper tech companies,

    Whatever else you might think of FB, you surely can't deny that they are a proper tech company.

    0 0 Reply
  6. Oninoshiko

    THIS MUST BE STOPPED NOW!

    I the name of NET NEUTRALITY, this is something we CANNOT ABIDE!

    Seriously though, this is the opposite of neutrality. If you're a supporter of it, you have to consider this a serious blow to your cause.

    0 0 Reply
  7. MrZoolook
    Mushroom

    Facebook... essential!?

    You know the planet is fucked when Facebook is one of the 38 most "essential" websites in operation.

    *insert Farnsworth meme*

    1 0 Reply

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