Facebook is fast learning the limits of tech exceptionalism. Indian regulators have blocked the social network's plan to offer free limited Internet to the country's poor. Ill-judged comments by Facebook director Marc Andreessen only serve to highlight the gap between the way Silicon Valley sees itself and how it is viewed by large parts of the planet. Big web groups can no longer expect a free pass for their world-improving plans.
Viewed from Facebook's head office in Menlo Park, California, it must have been hard to imagine any Government would object to founder Mark Zuckerberg's plan to connect hundreds of millions of new users to internet sites - including Facebook - free of charge.
Yet Indian opponents accuse Zuckerberg of using the mobile-only service - known as Free Basics - to recruit new Facebook users. They also argued that the offering, which is subsidised by telecom operators, violates the principle of net neutrality. This states that service providers should not discriminate between providers of the information that flows across their networks. Despite an intensive advertising campaign by Facebook, India's telecom regulator this week effectively blocked the service. Other governments may now follow.
Andreessen, the prominent venture capitalist, summed up Silicon Valley's incredulity when he said on Twitter that the decision was “morally wrong” and accused India of reverting to “anti-colonialism”. Though Andreessen apologised and Zuckerberg distanced himself from the comments, the response only highlighted the divide between the technology industry and the world it purports to be helping.
2/To be clear, I am 100% opposed to colonialism, and 100% in favor of independence and freedom, in every country, including India.
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca)February 11, 2016
4/I apologize for any offense my comment caused, and withdraw it in full and without reservation.
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca)February 11, 2016
Zuckerberg's confusion is understandable. After all, it's only a few months since Narendra Modi visited Facebook's head office, and just weeks since the Indian prime minister launched a drive to make the country a hub for new startup companies.
Yet where some might still view Facebook as a plucky startup, others see a $288 billion corporation focused mainly on maximising advertising revenue by mining user data. As Zuckerberg found when he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth last year, his actions - and his company's - are now as likely to be met with opprobrium as with approval.
(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
Denying world's poorest free partial Internet connectivity when today they have none, for ideological reasons, strikes me as morally wrong.
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) February 10, 2016
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's statement on the issue.
I want to respond to Marc Andreessen's comments about India yesterday. I found the comments deeply upsetting, and they do not represent the way Facebook or I think at all. India has been personally important to me and Facebook. Early on in my thinking about our mission, I traveled to India and was inspired by the humanity, spirit and values of the people. It solidified my understanding that when all people have the power to share their experiences, the entire world will make progress. Facebook stands for helping to connect people and giving them voice to shape their own future. But to shape the future we need to understand the past. As our community in India has grown, I've gained a deeper appreciation for the need to understand India's history and culture. I've been inspired by how much progress India has made in building a strong nation and the largest democracy in the world, and I look forward to strengthening my connection to the country.
Free Basics, being run by the world’s largest social networking company, drew major criticism from experts who alleged that it curbed one’s freedom to access the Internet of their choice. In a major victory to Net Neutrality, TRAI barred telecom service providers from charging differential rates for data services.