Internet.org opens to developers, but won't support encryption over the web
Internet.org opened for third-party developers today, offering a clear path for any company that wants to build an app on top of the free-internet service, but the new openness comes with serious restrictions. The most obvious restriction is simple: Internet.org gets to manage and approve apps, akin to the Apple App Store. If you want to build an app that reaches Internet.org users, you'll have build it according to Facebook's rules, utilizing as little data
Unfortunately for users, the HTTPS issues seem to be baked into the core of how Internet.org is designed. The service works as a proxy, directly managing all traffic to and from the user.According to the developer guidelines, the proxy is designed "to create a standard traffic flow so that operators can properly identify and zero rate your service" — but it also gives Internet.org a clear view of all the traffic on the network. Low-bandwidth services like Twitter routinely require HTTPS as a way to secure the connection
Beyond security concerns, the platform continues to draw fire from net neutrality advocates in India, with MediaNama describing it as "a fundamental, permanent change in the way the internet works." In response, Mark Zuckerberg has insisted that neutrality principles could coexist with a zero-rated platform. "If a local fisherman gets access to free internet services he couldn't otherwise afford to help him sell more fish and support his family, then that's good," Zuckerberg says in the accompanying video, "and we shouldn't have rules that prevent that."
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