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 …

[Destroy All Monsters]

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.

[beast666]

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.

[Tac Eht Xilef]

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...

[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.

[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

[solo]

Net neutrality

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

[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...)

[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.

[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.

[MrZoolook]

Facebook... essential!?

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

*insert Farnsworth meme*