ICT Watch Ratified A Letter of Rejection for Internet.org

The polemic regarding Facebook-initiated Internet.org keeps on going. Numerous NGOs from various countries, including ICT Watch of Indonesia, ratified a letter of rejection designed for Internet.org program. According to them, the program violates net neutrality, freedom of speech, privacy, security, and implementation of zero rating.

As widely known, Internet.org is Facebook’s program which provides free internet access to certain websites. This is against the net neutrality concept which forces every content, service, and app to be treated equally, without discrimination. This zero rating concept is the reason why countries like Canada, Netherland, Slovenia, and Chile blocked the program.

Besides the net neutrality, Internet.org is also vulnerable from other issues like freedom of speech, privacy, and security. The latter became what the parties mainly concern about, as the transparency of users’ data is still considered to be lacking. So far, Facebook has yet made any clarification on what the data is used for, making users become worried of getting their data misused.

Internet.org and its reception in Indonesia

ICT Watch becomes one of Indonesia-based NGOs which are against Internet.org. In Indonesia, the program was launched last April, partnering with Indosat and featuring two local services, Kelase and Tokopedia. Mastel and the Ministry of Communication and Information also gave their opinion regarding the program, suggesting that they were not in line with the program, although for different motives.

Mastel even suggested operators in Indonesia to collaborate and establish a competitor to Facebook-initiated program. Meanwhile, Rudiantara, the Minister of Communication and Information, stated that the government backs up net neutrality with the focus of equal distribution of internet access, although without any specific law, and questions the business focus of Internet.org.

At the end of the letter, the NGO suggested that while envisioning its noble goal to get millions of world population get connected to internet, Facebook has to support and take side in order to keep the principle of net neutrality, privacy, security, and has concern on other users’ rights within its negotiation with the government and regulators, as well as keep the business initiative ethics in mind.