FSMI Hyderabad launches campaign against Free Basics

The Hyderabad chapter of the Free Software Movement of India (FSMI) is going to organize a four-day long campaign against Facebook's controversial Free Basics initiative. "Facebook misinformed and under informed its users about Free Basics," Siddhartha, a member of Swecha, part of FSMI, told ET. FSMI is a national coalition of various regional and sectoral free software movements operating in different parts of India, and is also running an online campaign to highlight the problems with Free Basics through its website. Free Basics, which Facebook says is part of its Internet.org initiative, aims to provide free access to basic internet services by partnering with telecom companies. Such practices, commonly referred to as "zero-rating," allows users to access select applications or websites, free of data charges, by striking deals with telecom operators. Facebook's "Save Free Basics" campaign, launched a couple of weeks ago, is urging users to show support for digital equality in India, in response to a paper by the telecom regulator which is seeking comments on differential pricing practices such as Airtel Zero of Facebook's Free Basics.