Facebook was the social media company whose Internet.org initiative aimed to provide free or affordable internet access.
Launched in 2013, Internet.org was a Facebook-led partnership with technology and telecommunications companies including Samsung, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Opera. Its broad goal was to expand connectivity in developing markets by lowering costs and offering access to selected online services. The initiative later became closely associated with Free Basics, an app that provided no-cost access to a limited set of websites in participating countries.
The wording “free internet” can be misleading. Internet.org generally did not provide unrestricted access to the entire internet; carriers and Facebook-approved technical criteria determined which services were available without data charges. That limitation led to criticism from net-neutrality advocates and technology companies.
India became a major flashpoint. In 2016, India’s telecom regulator barred discriminatory data tariffs, and Facebook withdrew Free Basics from the country shortly afterward. Google’s Project Loon was a separate connectivity project, not the company behind Internet.org.