Latest laws Helping good people to do good things.November 24, 2017:
Indian regulators had prevented Facebook’s Free Basics program aimed at compromising Net Neutrality.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Information Technology told media on the sidelines of the Global Conference on Cyberspace (GCCS) that right to access the internet for Indian citizens’ was “non-negotiable.”
He pointed to how Indian regulators had successfully prevented Facebook’s Free Basics program (earlier called Internet.org) from even taking off in India as it violated the basic principle of net neutrality.
He shared that when he was handling communications department and Mark Zuckerberg met him a number of times with the idea of Free Basics he was told that India is a democracy, we don’t believe in one gate but multiple gates.
Prasad said that this gate locking for India will not be accepted by the Govt. for the commitment that internet must be accessible to all.
During the event, even Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe also made a strong pitch for net neutrality.
PM Narendra Modi was also present at the event in New Delhi.
The Basic principle of net neutrality provides that all available traffic on the internet be treated equally, and that ISPs cannot be allowed to slow down, speed up, or give preferential treatment to specific apps or services to distort competition.
Sri Lanka said that itis “committed to make progressive and revolutionary steps” towards ensuring net neutrality.
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27.3.2016 –UN considers it a Basic Human Right, still Internet speed in Digital India among Slowest in World
8.2.2016 –Its Official now as TRAI says final no to Facebook’s Free Basics and Airtel Zero to supports Net Neutrality, Read Order
22.4.2015 –Govt committed to equal access to Internet for all: Prasad
13.4.2015 –Over one lakh emails sent to Trai supporting net neutrality
Source - ptinews.com