Facebook Wants to Bring Free Internet to the U.S., But Here’s the Catch

Facebook is in talks with the White House to bring ‘Free Basics’, a subsidized internet service, to rural and low-income areas in the US. The move is part of Mark Zuckerberg’s vision to bridge the digital divide, by bringing internet to remote and poor areas of the globe and ultimately ushering in millions of new Facebook friends.

“While we have nothing to announce,” the company said in a statement, “Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we’re always exploring ways to do that, including in the United States.” Free Basics has already run into opposition abroad, where governments haven’t exactly been rolling out the welcome mats.

The issue at hand is not the free internet per se, but the fact that the service would prioritize Facebook applications and services over others. The practice, known as zero-rating, allows Facebook to throttle competing services and set the rules for the internet playing field in a given region, tilting the balance in favor of itself and its established corporate partners.

Opponents of the app also argue that Free Basics and other zero-rated services like it, gain an unfair advantage by being exempted from data caps. That has led to the service being banned in India and facing stiff challenges in Egypt.

The US version of Free Basics would seek to bring internet to Americans who cannot afford or lack access to reliable, high-speed internet, according to The Washington Post. Facebook’s been trying to curry favor with smaller local wireless service providers to convince them to support the app and waive data charges for the service, which already operates in 49 countries.

If Facebook manages to roll out Free Basics in the US, it would reignite controversial questions over net neutrality and zero-rating.