Open Letter to Facebook

First few things about me.

I am an engineer by training and working in the cleantech industry, so directly I do not participate in the business of internet, apps or services but I have a strong opinion about net neutrality and power of the internet to all. I am generally not vocal about my views as I always feel there is another side which is partially correct so voicing strong opinions don't help the process of the collective good.

Recent events have changed me from a mute spectator to someone who is vocal about his/her views in public. The introduction of free internet plans was one such issue where I could not just keep quiet and watch on. I posted publicly many times my opposition to such services and grave danger to future of the internet as we know it. The same internet where I am posting this review without any fear and with same visibility and presence as any top world leader. Anyone in the world can read this and can either agree or disagree with the content. People can reply, abuse or admire based on their choice. This choice is what it is all about. Choice of using the internet the way you want it. So this prompts me to write this open letter to Facebook.

Indian telecom authority just issued an order that ends any practice of preferential treatment to any data or service over the internet. The regulator also put an end to any service that offers differentiated pricing for content. TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) thinks that limiting or providing selected access to the internet will have a negative impact in the mid to long term on usage profile of the consumer which is bad for internet ecosystem.

I wholeheartedly support this decision. I think TRAI has taken a good decision which will set up a marker for all other emerging countries. Poor people need connectivity, they do not need exploitation by big corporations in the name of social welfare. People who cannot afford internet connectivity need access to limitless opportunities of the web not a mix of cobbled together services which serve one and only one purpose - keep users locked on to one platform. The reason I write this open letter is not to express support for TRAI decision. Activists and people who have a far bigger stack at this than me will do that. My goal is to highlight the response to this decision from Facebook and urge them to make a course correction.

I admire Mark Zuckerberg, he has achieved a lot and will achieve even greater things but I am worried about his response to the decision.

“While we're disappointed with today's decision, I want to personally communicate that we are committed to keep working to break down barriers to connectivity in India and around the world. Internet.org has many initiatives, and we will keep working until everyone has access to the internet.”

The statement is really a confused one. Mark is personally committed to breaking down barriers to connectivity in India and around the world. A great statement to make but won’t free basics create a walled garden that you can and will control? Will you ever allow Google search in free basics? Will you ever allow Linkedin or Twitter to be a part of free basics? If your answer is no then you are not committed to breaking down the barriers. Facebook can always hide behind the statement that free basics is a platform and any developer can submit an application to be a part of it, but to be realistic, do you think Google, Twitter, Linkedin or any other big company will like their content to be at the mercy of facebook for few million dollars. My guess the answer will be a resounding no. Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram may have a billion users each but that does not mean that represents internet. Unless Facebook acknowledges this fact there is no meaning in internet.org initiative.

So this brings me to the second part of the statement which talks about internet.org. Internet.org may have many initiatives to bring the internet to the world which is commendable and I will support the efforts any way I can, but don’t mix two things to divert the attention from the key point. It is easy to confuse internet.org’s other efforts with free basics. Free Basics is not the internet. Did I say this before maybe yes, but let me say this again Free Basics is not the internet. Unless Facebook comes out of this bubble that its services mean the internet and that is the only thing people need, it will never succeed in its mission.

If Facebook’s mission is to bring connectivity to this world then it should think about the internet that helped Facebook to come under existence. Imagine if Myspace had Myspace basic that blocked Facebook and offered free usage to Myspace only. Facebook succeeded because it had an open internet to innovate and people connecting to the internet had a choice. When you try to eliminate choice, you move towards an authoritative and restrictive society that stifles new innovations and progress.

A strong analogy to end my letter, our iconic leaders like Gandhiji and Sardar Patel would have lived a happy life in British Raj but they chose struggles to give us our freedom, ability to choose who governs us. Freedom and choice were far more important to them than comforts of the walled garden of British Raj. So why any country or community choose limiting choice for few dollars of internet.org.

I am no one to give advice to Facebook’s CEO, my achievements are nothing and I am not a scholar who has core domain knowledge about this, but I still have a choice to express myself. If Facebook’s mission is to connect people then it should put 100% of its energy in connecting people. Playing games with revenue models and monthly active users with the help of schemes like free basics will help in boosting short-term profits but will certainly dilute the mission. So if Facebook is thinking of reworking the scheme and come back with another idea similar to free basics, it will only signal its downfall. But if it swallows its pride and focuses its energy on really empowering people and connecting them, it will make a huge impact on the development of communities across the globe. At the end, it does not matter how much money you make but what matters is how many people you empower, how many lives you change.   

Signing off

Nikhil