From PC World: Facebook’s Internet.org has opened its free Internet access platform to any low-bandwidth online service that meets its technical guidelines for running on basic phones.
Internet.org’s goal is to provide underprivileged people in Asia, Africa and Latin America with access to select online services without mobile data charges.
However, it ran into trouble in India where it was criticized by local net neutrality activists for creating “walled gardens” that provide free access only to a few preferred content providers and services, including Facebook.
Under pressure from the activists, some of the 38 websites and services that had joined Internet.org and operator Reliance Communications for the project opted out of the alliance or signaled that they were ready to leave. These included the Times Group, which withdrew some of its media sites, and travel site Cleartrip.
On Monday, Internet.org said it had decided to give people more choice over the services they use and would welcome to its platform websites that were simple and data efficient. Websites will not pay to be included, and operators won’t charge developers for the data people use for their services.
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