Facebook's Free Internet Program 'Free Basics', a program that provides users in the developing countries with free access to select websites on mobile devices, has been stopped by officials in Egypt.
According from the report of USA Today, more than 3 million Egyptians who were registered and enjoying the 'Free Basics' service has been cut off from the internet on Wednesday. Facebook reported that 1 million of those users are only experiencing the internet connection for the first time.
"We're disappointed that Free Basics will no longer be available in Egypt," Facebook told the Associated Press.
There is still no clear reason why officials in Egypt shut down the 'Free Basics' of Facebook in the country.
New York Times reported that there have been lots of criticism about the 'Free Basics' program of Facebook. These criticisms includes "providing a limited service with selected partners rather than unrestricted Internet access, and for violating net neutrality, which calls for all Internet services to be treated equally by telecommunications carriers".
Just last week, India also ordered the suspension of the program after Reliance Communications, Facebook's partner there, failed to offer information on the service before a planned expansion.
Facebook Head Mark Zuckerberg defended the 'Free Basics' program of Facebook against critics by running a full-paged ad and opinion piece that was published in the Times of India this week.
"Instead of welcoming Free Basics as an open platform that will partner with any telco, and allows any developer to offer services to people for free, they claim - falsely - that this will give people less choice," Zuckerberg wrote. "Instead of recognizing that Free Basics fully respects net neutrality, they claim - falsely - the exact opposite."
'Free Basics' is the formerly known Internet.org app of Facebook. It has the ability to provide access to Facebook and other web services without data charges.
