New Delhi: Recent revelations detailed in Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams have shed light on the Facebook’s controversial Free Basics programme in India and shown that the social media giant was closely aligned with the Modi government all through, raising serious concerns about the relationship between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and the US-based corporation. The book provides a behind-the-scenes account of Facebook’s aggressive lobbying efforts and its collaboration with Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, to push Free Basics – a programme criticised for violating net neutrality.
Wynn-Williams was head of global affairs/ public policy for Facebook between 2011 and 2018. Her account highlights how these efforts were designed to bypass public dissent and regulatory scrutiny. Wynn-Williams’ revelations paint a picture of manipulation, corporate overreach and political complicity. Meta, as Facebook is now known, has called the book “a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives”.
Facebook’s campaign to promote Free Basics in India was nothing short of a corporate blitzkrieg. The book describes how Facebook established a “war room” specifically for India, investing tens of millions of dollars in advertising campaigns across TV, newspapers, cinemas, radio and billboards. This strategy also included dark posts – targeted advertisements visible only to specific users – and SMS campaigns designed to “galvanise actual (or at least the appearance of) public support”.
According to Wynn-Williams, Indian Facebook users were bombarded with pop-ups urging them to email the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in support of Free Basics. The message warned: “Unless you take action now, India could lose free access to basic internet. Tell the TRAI you support Free Basics and digital equality in India”. The platform even designed the campaign so that clicking the button would notify a user’s entire friend list that they had submitted a letter to the regulator, creating viral pressure.
The company went as far as organising protests – or even “riots”, as some marketing team members joked – in support of Free Basics. These efforts were part of an “India Action Plan,” which aimed to create the illusion of widespread public approval. Wynn-Williams writes: “When I ask that team how they managed to get people there, why on earth Indians would feel so strongly about a platform, they don’t” – highlighting the artificial nature of the campaign.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
