> The idea behind Free Basics is to offer a stripped-down version of the mobile web so people can access parts of the Internet without it counting against their data plans.

I hate it when people lie like this. The "Free Basics" would force all websites accessible on this scheme to go through FaceBook, including encrypted ones, so FaceBook can then log and analyze your data. This is not some generous scheme which just gives you free access to the Internet; it gives you free access to FaceBook, which then in turn gives you what it thinks is right.