But in 2016, the program (now renamed Free Basics), was banned by India Telecom Regulatory Authority, which claims to violate political neutrality. Although this has slowed down, it continues to emerge, unintentionally, going to other countries in developing countries. In 2018, Facebook He said Internet.org had over 100 million people online. By 2019, FreeBasics was available in 65 countries, and about 30 in Africa. Last year, the company began publishing Facebook Discover, which allows internet users to find the cheapest cars in everything websites (not just Facebook stuff,) even after.
Versions of these apps are found in Afghanistan, where many internet users compare Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp to the rest of the internet. Even among those who have access to the entire internet, Facebook tools still played an important role. For example, WhatsApp makes long-term phone calls instead of expensive and insecure phones. Many small businesses rely on Facebook tools to market and market their products.
All of this means that even temporary suspensions are devastating, especially for charitable organizations and donors – and people like Bezhan.
“Secret planning and support takes place on TV,” says Bezhan, and most of this took place via Facebook, WhatsApp, and the Messenger app. The abolition prevented him from “trying to provide information to the people of Afghanistan, preparing the way for us to move,” [and] connecting those in need. ”
It was in the middle of the night for Bezhan that Facebook started to resurface, but even then, some of the other features, including search and information, were still not available. He still hasn’t heard for a while if he’ll add another name to get out.
But he is also concerned about what his Afghan friends are hearing and thinking, their great connection with the foreign country is suddenly over. For weeks after Kabul’s fall, there have been rumors that the Taliban had cut off the internet. “I think he’s making a rumor and coming up with a story about how the new government is banning journalists,” he says.
They could not be alone. Responding to a similar challenge, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, went on Twitter to correct the record: “Internet connection not disconnected,” he wrote at 4:05 PM ET. “It is the global crippling darkness of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Some apps like Twitter work normally. The same applies to the entire internet. ”