Free Basics includes a limited suite of internet services, including Facebook, that can be used without counting toward a cellphone data plan. As a result, the number of Facebook users in Myanmar has skyrocketed to more than 30 million today from 2 million in 2014. In a statement, WhatsApp said, "WhatsApp has made communications cheaper, easier and more reliable for millions of Indians -- with all the benefits that brings. But the speed of Facebook's growth in the developing world has made it an especially potent force among first-time internet users, who may not be appropriately sceptical of what they see online. Information wars in emerging markets may not represent as big a threat to Facebook's business as angry lawmakers in Washington.

Source: Bangkok Post October 30, 2017 21:33 UTC