Zuckerberg slams Facebook Director Marc Andreeson’s offensive Tweet

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday disowned his colleagues’s controversial statement that Free Basics was same as colonialism, saying it was deeply upsetting.

Facebook board member Marc Andreesen’s offensive tweet that created an uproar on the social media, after India’s telecom watchdog the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI) said no to discriminatory pricing of data content which led to several irate Indians expressing their opinions in the social networking sites with angry reactions.

Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post “I want to respond to Marc Andreesen’s comments about India. 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 travelled to India and was inspired by the humanity, spirit and values of the people. It solidified my understanding that when all people have power to share their experiences, the entire world will make progress.”

Andreesen’s tweet which was susequenlty deleted “Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for Indian people for decades. Why stop now?.”

According to Zukerberg 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 out community in India has grown, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the need to understand India’s history and culture. I have 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 .”

The watchdog added “No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contact , by whatever name called, with any person, natural or legal, that has the effect of discriminatory tariffs for data services being offered or charged to the consumer on the basis of content,”.

However, Facebooks will continue its efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an easier access to the Internet.