‘Disappointed’ Mark Zuckerberg responds to Facebook’s partial ban in India

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to the news that India’s telecommunications regulator has banned the company’s Free Basics program.

Free Basics, launched as part of Facebook’s Internet.org project, allowed subscribers of Reliance, India’s largest telecommunications company, to access internet services for free.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Zuckerberg wrote that “while we are disappointed with today’s decision, I want to personally convey that we are committed to continuing to work to break down connectivity barriers in India and around the world.”

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He added that “connecting India is an important goal that we will not give up on as over a billion people in India do not have access to the Internet.”

On Monday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) banned different rates for different types of data. TRAI said it was “guided by the principles of net neutrality” in its decision.

The program was criticized by net neutrality advocates in India, who said Facebook essentially becomes the gatekeeper of what services can be accessed for free. In December, TRAI invited comments on the issue.

Last month, TRAI itself pilloried Facebook’s campaign, accusing the company of turning the consultation process into a “primitively majoritarian and orchestrated opinion poll.”

You can read Zuckerberg’s full Facebook post below.

Sonam Joshi contributed to this article.