Facebook has opened up its free Internet access site, Internet.org, for developers to host more content and services on it. The move is aimed towards getting more people online in low-income and rural areas in the emerging markets.
"Our goal with Internet.org is to work with as many developers and entrepreneurs as possible to extend the benefits of connectivity to diverse, local communities. To do this, we're going to offer services through Internet.org in a way that's more transparent and inclusive," Facebook said in a blog post on Monday.
The platform will be open to all developers who meet certain guidelines, including content being built for browsing on both feature and smartphones and in limited bandwidth scenarios, the company said in a statement.
The move comes amid growing debate in India, home to the world's third-largest population of Internet users, over free access and net neutrality in the country.
Internet.org has come under scrutiny after it was viewed as a zero-rating product which violated the concept of net neutrality in an ongoing raging debate about the interpretation of the term.
The Internet.org application offers free access to basic internet services on mobile phones, as well as access to Facebook's own social network and messaging services.
