Facebook's controversial billion-dollar free Internet project, Internet.org, is now seeing some appealing big changes.
Internet.org is a two-year-old project bringing Internet access to four billion people in emerging markets across Asia that don't have it. It has taken flack for only allowing users access to Facebook services and select local websites.
But change is approaching, according to a statement put out on Internet.org's website, alongside separate comments a few hours later from Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, himself in a Facebook posting.
"Today we're announcing significant improvements to Internet.org," he wrote. "We've listened to feedback from the community and made three big changes. First, we've opened up the Internet.org platform. Starting today, any developer can include their services in Internet.org. This gives people the power to choose what apps they want to use."
"Second, we've improved the security and privacy of Internet.org. We already encrypt information everywhere possible, and starting today Internet.org also supports secure HTTPS web services as well. Third, we've changed the name of the app providing these free basic services to 'Free Basics,'" he added.
While Facebook previously launched its Internet.org platform for developers back in May as a direct answer to net neutrality criticism, it did so with strict guidelines in place. Today, those seem to be loosening.
Last May, Facebook also publicized that the project was now available to more than one billion people, and more recently, in July, we heard about its massive new drone that will beam Internet down to developing countries.
As of today, Free Basics offers more than 60 services across 19 countries, many of which are in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. It's united with local carriers and tech giants including Samsung, Qualcomm, and Ericsson.
"Connectivity isn't an end in itself. It's what people do with it that matters - like raising a healthy family. We hope the improvements we've made today help even more people get connected - so that our whole global community can benefit together," Zuckerberg concluded.
