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Facebook pumps up ENTIRELY SELFLESS, altruistic Internet.org

Give us your tired, poor, huddled masses and let us SPAM them with ADS

Facebook is getting more push behind its totally altruistic Internet.org scheme, which will - incidentally - let it slurp up free content and personal information from billions of poor people worldwide while spattering them with ads.

The Internet.org programme has said it is inviting more mobile operators to take part in the business venture project, adding it is ready to "scale Internet.org free basic services".

So far a dozen mobile operators have signed up to provide services across 17 countries.

Around two-thirds of the world are currently unable to share cat GIFs as they do not have internet access.

"By providing people with access to free basic services through Internet.org, our goal was to bring more people online and help them discover the value of the internet — and it’s working," it said altruistically.

In a statement designed to assuage accusations that the project will violate the principle of 'net neutrality' by ghettoising websites for poor internet users, the company said: "We've also made it easy for any developer to create services that integrate with Internet.org."

"Our goal is to work with as many mobile operators and developers as possible to extend the benefits of connectivity to diverse, local communities around the world."

"We look forward to working in partnership with more mobile operators and developers to bring internet access and relevant basic internet services to the unconnected," it added.

In May, 67 digital rights groups signed an open letter criticising the project for creating a "walled garden" of websites favouring some services, such as Facebook, over others.

In April a number of Indian companies fled from the initiative on the grounds that the scheme was anti-competitive. ®

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