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.

Facebook Zero
OwnerFacebook, Inc.
Created byMark Zuckerberg
URL0.facebook.com
AdvertisingYes
CommercialYes
RegistrationRequired

History

Plans for Facebook Zero were first announced at the Mobile World Congress in February 2010 by Chamath Palihapitiya.[5] In collaboration with 50 mobile operators around the world, it was officially of launched on May 18, 2010.[1] The scheme is considered zero-rated or the practice of offering free data for some services, filtering out others.[6]

The Facebook model featured a stripped-down version of the platform, which was made available to all mobile phone owners.[7] It was offered in emerging markets to address the issue of data caps. A report explained that Facebook Zero subsidized phone data for a period, allowing for free user access.[7] Facebook also provide technical assistance to partner carriers so that the process incurs low cost.[8] In some countries, Facebook Zero is offered as part of a carrier's Free Basic data plan that could include access to Google and Wikipedia as well as localized content.[9]

Facebook Zero became controversial in some countries due to several issues such as net neutrality.[6] For instance, India's Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) bans zero-rated services on account of "discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content”.[10] A criticism also stated that Facebook is practicing digital colonialism because it is not introducing open internet but building a "little web that turns the user into a mostly passive consumer of mostly western corporate content”.[8]

Several carriers offer Facebook Zero:[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.[29]

Facebook Zero was also credited as the inspiration for a similar initiative undertaken by Wikipedia titled Wikipedia Zero.[30][31][32]

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.[33][34][35][36]

The Subsecretaría 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.[37][38]

In 2015, researchers evaluating how Facebook Zero shapes information and communication technology 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".[39]

See also

References
  1. Murlidhar, Sid (May 18, 2010). "Fast and Free Facebook Mobile Access with 0.facebook.com". Facebook. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  2. "Facebook". MTN. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  3. "Facebook Zero - free on 2degrees!". 2degrees. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  4. "Facebook Zero!". GrameenPhone. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  5. Wauters, Robin (February 16, 2010). "Facebook Launches Zero, A Text-Only Mobile Site For Carriers". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  6. Meyer, David. "Net neutrality: Key zero rating decision made by Germany". ZDNet. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  7. Bergen, Mark (2014-07-07). "The Secret Sauce For Twitter's Global Growth Strategy: Subsidized Data". adage.com. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  8. Solon, Olivia (2017-07-27). "'It's digital colonialism': how Facebook's free internet service has failed its users". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  9. Kebe, Cheikh M. F.; Gueye, Assane; Ndiaye, Ababacar; Garba, Aminata (2018). Innovations and Interdisciplinary Solutions for Underserved Areas: Second International Conference, InterSol 2018, Kigali, Rwanda, March 24–25, 2018, Proceedings. Cham: Springer. p. 64. ISBN 9783319988771.
  10. "TRAI Favors Net Neutrality, Suggests Guidelines In Favor Of It". The Logical Indian. 2017-11-28. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  11. "Services : Réseaux sociaux". Djezzy (in French). Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  12. "Problemi sa 0.facebook.com" [Problems with 0.facebook.com]. bonbon. March 26, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  13. "Facebook Zero". Hrvatski Telekom FAQ. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  14. "Facebook zero". MultiPlus Mobile. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  15. "Besplatni Facebook" [Free Facebook]. Simpa. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  16. "Uvjeti korištenja besplatnog Facebooka Zero za Tomato korisnike bonova" [Free Facebook Zero Terms of Use for Tomato Prepaid Users]. Tomato. 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  17. "E-Plus Gruppe: Kostenloser Zugang zu Facebook".
  18. "WIND Hellas 0.Facebook". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.
  19. "Ncell launches 'Facebook Free' offer under its 'Internet for All' theme". Ncell. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  20. "Facebook provides free internet access to Pakistani citizens". DAWN. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  21. "Use Facebook on Phones for Free With Mobilink Jazz, Jazba". ProPakistani. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  22. "Facebook Freebasics". Zong Pakistan. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  23. "Zong brings free internet in partnership with Facebook". THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  24. "أهلاً بكم في شركة الاتصالات الخلوية الفلسطينية - جوال - افراد - ما هي خدمة زيرو فيس بوك ؟". أهلاً بكم في شركة الاتصالات الخلوية الفلسطينية - جوال. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  25. Consulji, Bianca (November 1, 2013). "Facebook Rolls Out Zero Data Charge Access in the Philippines". Mashable. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  26. "Facebook za ZERO bez reklam".
  28. "du Launches 0.facebook.com". May 25, 2010.
  29. Mims, Christopher (September 24, 2012). "Facebook's plan to find its next billion users: convince them the internet and Facebook are the same". Quartz. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  30. "Mobile partnerships". Wikimedia Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  31. Brian, Matt (May 27, 2012). "Wikipedia Zero expands into Asia, drops mobile data charges for 10m subscribers in Malaysia". The Next Web. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  32. Dillon, Conon (December 18, 2013). "Wikipedia Zero: free data if you can afford it". Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  33. "Google Free Zone". Google Operating System blog (not affiliated with Google). October 25, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  34. Knowles, Jamillah (November 8, 2012). "The Philippines gets Facebook Zero-style free mobile access to Google services via Globe Telecom". Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  35. Jana (December 3, 2012). "Google Free Zone: Google's Challenge to Facebook Zero". Archived from the original on January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  36. Deibert, April (February 19, 2013). "Google 'Free Zone' and Facebook 'Zero': Products Targeting Developing Populations". Innovation Series. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  37. Mirani, Leo (May 30, 2014). "Less than zero – When net neutrality backfires: Chile just killed free access to Wikipedia and Facebook". Quartz. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  38. McKenzie, Jessica (June 2, 2014). "Face Off in Chile: Net Neutrality v. Human Right to Facebook & Wikipedia". Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  39. Leo Mirani (9 Feb 2015). "Millions of Facebook users have no idea they're using the internet".
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