Facebook Turns Evil; Launches Shrewd Campaign To Trap Users Into Supporting Free Basics – Don’t Fall For It!
In a shrewd move, Facebook has launched a massive ‘Save Free Basics’ campaign on Facebook, wherein unsuspecting users are prompted with a pre-written message, which would be sent to TRAI as part of their new consultation paper regarding Net Neutrality.
The pre-written message which Facebook users are gullibly sending to TRAI is:
“To the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, I support digital equality for India. Free Basics provides free access to essential internet services like communication, education, healthcare, employment, farming and more. It helps those who can’t afford to pay for data, or who need a little help getting started online. And it’s open to all people, developers and mobile operators. With 1 billion Indian people not yet connected, shutting down Free Basics would hurt our country’s most vulnerable people. I support Free Basics – and digital equality for India. Thank you.”
Read the last line: “I support Free Basics – and digital equality for India.”
This is entirely false and misleading as Free Basics by Facebook is killing digital equality in India, and destroying Net Neutrality as we know.
The whole structure of this campaign is so flawless, that once a user sends this email, all his friends on Facebook would receive a notification, and then growth will happen like a virus.
TRAI will receive thousands and millions of such pre-written messages, and Free Basics would be approved in India. This campaign is a disastrous, shrewd and grossly unethical move by Facebook.
Here is the screenshot of what Facebook is showing the users.
TRAI and Telecom Ministry Is At Fault Here
I would say here that Facebook is not at fault this time; it’s our very own TRAI and Telecom Ministry which wants Facebook to win. And this is a very serious situation for Net Neutrality in India.
When a consultation paper was already published and responses received in the month of May, 2015, was there any need to again publish a consultation paper, and allow Facebook to win?
Does TRAI expect any different answers this time?
It seems like TRAI wants people to support Free Basics – they will keep on publishing such consultation papers until majority of people say yes to Free Basics!
Why no action was taken on the previous consultation paper? Why did TRAI allow Facebook to devise such shrewd, manipulated campaign to garner support for their evil Free Basics plan?
As we have shared earlier, Free Basics is a killer for Net Neutrality, and under no circumstances we can allow it to prosper.
Don’t fall for this trap by Facebook by supporting Free Basics.
Here is the direct link to TRAI’s consultation paper on Net Neutrality. Contact them directly, and save Net Neutrality in India:
“Stakeholders are requested to furnish their written comments by 30th December, 2015 and counter-comments by 7th January, 2016 to Ms. Vinod Kotwal, Advisor (F&EA), TRAI. The comments may also be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. Comments and counter-comments would be posted
on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in. For any clarification/information, Advisor (F&EA) may be contacted at Tel. No. : +91-11-23230752, Fax: +91-11- 23236650”
[Update]
What to do if you see the Message
If you see the message on Facebook asking you to support “Free Basics” – Simply open this word document, copy the Subject line and body of text given in this Google doc. (Shared by @nixxinn)
So if you're seeing a Facebook message asking for support for free basics, please replace their text with this https://t.co/mcOna2vv6F
— Nikhil Pahwa (@nixxin) December 17, 2015
We don’t this shit from facebook ,instead of this people should complain against this and network companies like aircel who cut our balance for no reason and when we complain to customer service they just hang ur call
Google understands net neutrality? Facebook doesn’t? You do realise that Google now owns Facebook, Twitter, whatsapp, etc..??? It’s already a monopoly
Its very easy to fight with the person who carries the sword in his hand,but the person who has mastered the art of seduction it is very difficult to fight with them. Not only Mr.Modi and his government but the entire population of India has got mesmerized by Mark Zuckkerbugs actions Like donating 99% of his wealth , but people don’t know the math behind the donation . When Modi visited silicon valley he showed humility and humbleness to Mr.Modi. His every move is well crafted and the people of India is now under the cast of his magical spell.Any one who will Oppose his actions will now be considered as evil in the eyes of the people of India. TRAI also is under his spell . And those who are asking for net neutrality they are generally entrepreneurs and the people of India consider entrepreneurs as evil.Mr Mark Zukerburg is acting as Rehnuma for people of India !!
What Facebook is doing is wrong. People deserve free Internet the same way they deserve free drinking water or free wind power electricity or even access to legacy radio/tv.
It is ok if the free Internet is slow, and only the paid Internet is fast. But people deserve access to everything on the Internet! But Facebook is offering free fast Facebook instead, and trying to lock the entire population of India into a Facebook- Internet tap that they must pay to escape.
Internet access is a right, not a privilige in the year 2015. If faster speeds are paywalled, that is acceptable, but everyone’s phone deserves at least show Internet just for being connected.
Fix the frequency issue with Project Loon and use that instead! Google understands that Internet access is a right, a right that many people do not have access to!
If Facebook really wanted to help, the would start a program to get phones and Internet to underserved areas, and pressure telecom operators to have unlimited Internet for everyone, with slow throttling after a cap. And people must pay to raise the speed cap, not to have Internet at all! That is real free basics!
Basic speed, NOT basic content!
Furthermore allowing Facebook to control free basics allows Facebook to control the content that people can or can not view.
Beware, TRAI can also leak your email ids again. Jokes apart, please don’t fall in this TRAP of Facebook. Freebies never made for the good of common man. You can take any example from history and from recent cases of Indian politicians as well.
And at last, you all are too good to judge any good for you.
Thanks Mohul, for this good write up.