Facebook board member Marc Andreessen yesterday set off a storm by > terming India’s decision to bar discriminatory Internet tariff as an “anti-colonialist” idea and said the country would have been better off if it remained under British rule. Mr. Andreessen took to Twitter to express his distaste over TRAI's decision to say no to Facebook's 'Free Basics.' The tweet that invited much ire in social media was later deleted.
However, after facing much flak over his comments, Mr. Andressen on Thursday morning took to Twitter to apologise.
2/To be clear, I am 100% opposed to colonialism, and 100% in favor of independence and freedom, in every country, including India.
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) >February 11, 2016
4/I apologize for any offense my comment caused, and withdraw it in full and without reservation.
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) >February 11, 2016
5/I will leave all future commentary on all of these topics to people with more knowledge and experience than me.
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) >February 11, 2016
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, however, released a statement this morning on the issue. Here is what Mr. Zuckerberg has to say:
I want to respond to Marc Andreessen's comments about India yesterday. I found the comments deeply upsetting, and they do not represent the way Facebook or I think at all. India has been personally important to me and Facebook. Early on in my thinking about our mission, I traveled to India and was inspired by the humanity, spirit and values of the people. It solidified my understanding that when all people have the power to share their experiences, the entire world will make progress. Facebook stands for helping to connect people and giving them voice to shape their own future. But to shape the future we need to understand the past. As our community in India has grown, I've gained a deeper appreciation for the need to understand India's history and culture. I've been inspired by how much progress India has made in building a strong nation and the largest democracy in the world, and I look forward to strengthening my connection to the country. |
Free Basics, being run by the world’s largest social networking company, drew major criticism from experts who alleged that it curbed one’s freedom to access the Internet of their choice. In a major victory to Net Neutrality, TRAI barred telecom service providers from charging differential rates for data services.
