Net Neutrality versus Digital 'Equality'

Okay, now I tell you  that because the poor does not get food, I will from now on give food to them.

Please click on the button to allow me to give food to the poor. You will of course feel it's a good thing and click on the button. Someone is doing something good and you are doing good by supporting it! Digital Equality! However, the food I am giving comprises only coffee (I have a deal with Nescafe), tomatoes (I have a deal with a tomato farmer), KRT rice (I have a deal), no dal (no deals were made), amul milk (again, deals). so, what's wrong? Nothing except the fact that you will be able to have just these foods, and nothing else. These you can have as much as you want. Will you get proper nutrition..no. But at least you get to eat, no?


Now take this in the case of the Internet... it becomes more sinister. I will give you free Internet (you will of course need a device) but there are only certain sites that you will be allowed to access. So, how does this become wrong? At least you are getting the Internet, right? I will be allowing you access to Times of India for news (because I have a deal with them. Not Hindustan Times, Not Indian Express... because their views might be different from mine). For shopping you may go to flipkart and not to any other because again I have a deal with them. Facebook of course is something you may be on the whole day and I will make it full of attractive ads from my partners so that you get motivated and encouraged to be our customers. There will be attractive discounts of course. There won't be any blogs, articles etc that tell you a different picture of the government. If an article has been written by someone or a picture has been taken that shows the government in a wrong way..the whole world will see it but  you poor thing will have to make do without it because it wont be on the sites you are 'allowed' to see.


So, not only will be you reading what I want you to read, you will be buying what I want you to buy, discussing what I want you to discuss. The Ambanis and Zuckerbergs will sit pretty because, my dear, we are meant to sit pretty and you are just a poor thing... you must be so thankful to us for the freedom we are giving you. I like the word Freedom so much that I have renamed my Internet.org as 'Free Basics'..the Basics, of course, are the ones I want for you. I know what's best. And as for digital Equality, I will not mention it but there are alternatives like Mozilla's Grameen Phone in Bangladesh that actually allows you to surf the entire Internet on 20 MB free data per day.

And, of course, I will be donating 90% of my stock as charity for my daughter.