Facebook has announced a number of changes to Internet.org, giving it a pretty substantial makeover, including renaming it to "Free Basics."
The news follows Facebook having opened up the Internet.org website to developers, which, in turn, followed Facebook being accused of violating net neutrality rules. The rebranding includes the launch of over 60 new services, including BabyCenter, which offers pregnancy and parenting information.
"We want to make it clear that the apps you can use through Internet.org are free, basic services that can give you access to essential resources like BabyCenter," said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Facebook post. "Connectivity isn't an end in itself. It's what people do with it that matters — like raising a healthy family."
Of course, the new Free Basics branding will not change the accessibility of Internet.org. Current users of the Android app will be able to continue using it without any interruption. The Web version of Internet.org will redirect to FreeBasics.com.
The Internet.org program is also open to all developers, with the 60 new services launched being available in 19 countries. In addition to BabyCenter, the services range in areas including health, economics and education.
Facebook is also upgrading the security around Internet.org. While the service currently encrypts information whenever possible, it now also supports HTTPS Web services. Apps that run over HTTP will also be encrypted between the server and a device that supports HTTPS.
Facebook has been facing complaints in India with the Internet.org initiative, with some companies saying that Facebook was favoring its partners, which violates net neutrality. Instead of offering access to the Web in general, Facebook offered prioritized access to the services that partnered with it. While Facebook says it was simply trying to open access and get people connected to the Internet, it ultimately said that it would open up Internet.org to any developer who made an app, providing it didn't take up too much bandwidth.
Via: PCMag
