A day after Flipkart said that it would not be a part of Airtel Zero and would unequivocally support net neutrality in India, ClearTrip said that it was pulling out of Internet.org. While there are differences between the Internet.org and Airtel Zero, both program are similar in their stated aim to make app access free for consumers.
However, free access to selective apps violate the concept of net neutrality that stipulates that access to data, including cost and speed, has to be same for everyone.
Interestingly, the statement from ClearTrip on this matter came on the day when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is the key man behind Internet.org, defended the scheme to provide free access to several apps in developing countries.
"The recent debate around #NetNeutrality gave us pause to rethink our approach to Internet.org and the idea of large corporations getting involved with picking and choosing who gets access to what and how fast. What started off with providing a simple search service has us now concerned with influencing customer decision-making by forcing options on them, something that is against our core DNA," ClearTrip said in a statement. "In light of this, Cleartrip has withdrawn our association with and participation in Internet.org entirely."
On Twitter, the company added: "Time to draw a line in the sand, Cleartrip is pulling out of http://Internet.org & standing up for #NetNeutrality."
To understand the net neutrality and the current debate in India around the concept read "Everything you need to know about Net Neutrality in India"
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