Call me cynical, but Mark Zuckerberg’s new Internet.org scheme seems like the easiest money-maker in the world.
What could he possibly want with everyone on the planet having the ability to connect to the Internet?
Ah right, everyone will have a Facebook profile. In a time where people are leaving Facebook in their droves and awareness of NSA/PRISM spying is at a feverish level, Zuckerberg is hereby fishing for the new market.
He quotes a United Nations Human Rights Council report saying: "The internet boosts economic, social and political development, and contributes to the progress of humankind as a whole."
Tch! I’m sure a decentralised effort by a number of internet giants and NGOs could roll out the web in developing countries no problem, but man must run before he can walk, and in this case he must adequately feed and house his country before logging on.
Surely there are others that have cleaner souls who want to step up to the mark and provide Internet access to developing countries, without any underlying intentions of long-term interests for their companies?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the Third World should not have access to the Internet, but I think we can all spot a red-herring when we see one.
