Facebook Zero
Facebook Zero is an initiative undertaken by social networking service company Facebook in collaboration with mobile phone-based Internet providers, whereby the providers waive data (bandwidth) charges (also known as zero-rate) for accessing Facebook on phones via a stripped-down text-only version of its mobile website (as opposed to the ordinary mobile website m.facebook.com that also loads pictures). The stripped-down version is available online only through providers who have entered the agreement with Facebook.[1][2][3][4] Photos are not loaded by default. Users may still choose to view them by clicking through but regular data charges apply to photo use.
History
Plans for Facebook Zero were first announced at the Mobile World Congress in February 2010 by Chamath Palihapitiya.[5]
It was officially launched on May 18, 2010 in collaboration with 50 mobile operators around the world.[1]
Carriers
Several carriers offer Facebook Zero.[1]
Albania: Telekom Albania; Vodafone Albania
Algeria: DJEZZY; MOBILIS
Angola: Unitel S.A.
Bangladesh: Grameenphone
Botswana: MASCOM
Cameroon: MTN Group
Canada: Wind Mobile
El Salvador: Movistar
Fiji: Digicel
France: SFR
Germany: E-Plus[6]
Greece: Cosmote;[7] Vodafone Greece;[8] WIND Hellas[9]
Georgia: MagtiCom
Guinea: MTN Group
Indonesia: XL Axiata
Kosovo: iPKO
Malaysia: DiGi
Myanmar: Telenor
New Zealand: 2degrees[3]
Pakistan: Mobilink; Telenor Pakistan
Panama: Cable & Wireless Communications
Philippines: Smart[10]
Poland: Play[11]
Qatar: Vodafone Qatar
Suriname: Digicel
Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel
United Kingdom: Three
Zimbabwe: Telecel Zimbabwe
Kenya: Airtel Kenya
KSA : Saudi Telecom Company [1]
Reception and impact
An article by Christopher Mims in Quartz in September 2012 stated that Facebook Zero played a very important role in Facebook's expansion in Africa over the 18 months following the release of Facebook Zero, noting that data charges could be a significant component of mobile usage cost and the waiving of these charges reduced a significant disincentive for people in Africa to use Facebook.[12]
Facebook Zero was also credited as the inspiration for a similar initiative undertaken by Wikipedia titled Wikipedia Zero.[13][14][15]
Google Free Zone, a similar service launched by Google in November 2012, was viewed by Internet commentators as both inspired by and a potential challenge to Facebook Zero.[16][17][18][19]
The Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones of Chile ruled that Zero-rating services like Wikipedia Zero, Facebook Zero, and Google Free Zone, that subsidize mobile data usage, violate net neutrality laws and had to end the practise by June 1, 2014.[20][21]
In 2015, researchers evaluating how Facebook Zero shapes ICT use in the developing world found that 11% of Indonesians who said they used Facebook also said they did not use the Internet. 65% of Nigerians, 61% of Indonesians, and 58% of Indians agree with the statement that "Facebook is the Internet"[22] compared with only 5% in the US[citation needed].
See also
References
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