Facebook criticised for creating ‘two tier internet’ with Internet.org programme

Letter from digital rights groups to Mark Zuckerberg says they believe Facebook is building a walled garden and not doing enough to promote net neutrality

Internet.org, Facebook’s initiative to expand internet access to the “next billion” people across the developing world, has come under attack from 67 digital rights groups worldwide for not doing enough to promote net neutrality alongside expanding access.

The signatories, which include America’s 18MillionRising.org and Europe’s Free Press Unlimited as well as India’s IT for Change and Nigeria’s Paradigm Initiative, argue that Facebook is “building a walled garden in which the world’s poorest people will only be able to access a limited set of insecure websites and survives”.