From TechCrunch:
Facebook has long been promoting the the idea of free, zero-rated mobile services in emerging countries to drive more Facebook (and wider mobile data) usage. Now, its Internet.org initiative has crafted another way to promote growth: by working with directly with carriers to analyse and fix their networks, with a recent trial in Indonesia — the fourth-biggest country for Facebook usage — speeding up mobile network speeds by up to 70%, the company says.
According to Wikipedia, Indonesia’s population is estimated at 250 millions in 2014; the fourth most populated country in the world.
The Internet.org work is being made public as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg travels in Indonesia and meets with its president-elect and current Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo…….
I don’t think the President Elect of Indonesia understands that Facebook’s number one product is the user. No doubt that Facebook really see the revenue potential from Indonesian users.
Yep, this is one country where hoaxes are treated as facts, hoaxes such as:
- Dr. Brian Berry and Silver Nitro Oxide
With gem like this one: “Answer phone calls with the left ear.” - Disposable chopsticks are loaded with carcinogens.
- Cosmic Rays Entering Earth From Mars
Really? Mars does not emit cosmic rays.
Then there’s SoldatenKaffee, a Nazi-themed restaurant which opened for more than two years without a peep from the community and Indonesian government. It took some offended tourists for this Nazi-themed restaurant to close and reopen with different theme.
Of course, voicing an opinion could also land Indonesian in jail.
Then, the police got involved – but not to defend Ms Sihombing. Instead, after residents complained about her in numbers to the police, she was summoned for questioning on Saturday 30 August, and charged under the 2008 Electronic Transactions and Information Law for defamation and “inciting hatred”. Yogyakarta has a conservative reputation, and public manners are valued highly.
If the mobs didn’t kill you, the police will.
Indonesia is for sure an easy target for Facebook business model.