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| Egypt's decision caught Facebook by surprise and came at a particularly bad time as it is fighting a desperate battle in India over the same issue |
December 30, 2015, NewsCrunch
Egypt abruptly shut down Facebook's controversial programme Free Basics on Wednesday just after two months it was introduced in the country.
The decision affects three million subscribers of Etisalat, who were were accessing select apps and services, for free, through the Free Basics programme.
Egypt's decision caught Facebook by surprise and came at a particularly bad time.
Free Basics is facing stiff opposition in India and even professors of elite institutions such as IIT and IISc have come out against it.
The opponents accuse Facebook of making false claims on Free Basics, which will harm net neutrality.
Facebook has launched an aggressive campaign to push Free Basics in India where it reportedly has over 125 million users.
The Egyptian government did not provide any information why it had shut down Free Basics and there was also no clue if the ban would be temporary or permanent.
In a statement to AP Facebook said it was “disappointed” by the shutdown and hoped to “resolve the situation soon to restore the programme.
Free Basics continues to be in operation in 30 countries.