
Facebook’s new cryptocurrency promises a government-free solution to poverty - Pausanias
https://thebaffler.com/the-future-sucked/coins-of-no-nation-silverman
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Pausanias
Excerpt:

“They’ve been here before. A few years ago, the company introduced its Free
Basics plan, which provided a primitive, less data-intensive experience of the
web by funneling all traffic through Facebook and a few approved apps,
essentially occluding the difference between Facebook and the broader
internet.” ... “As the company said in a statement at the time, “Our goal with
Free Basics is to bring more people online with an open, non-exclusive and
free platform. While disappointed with the outcome, we will continue our
efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an easier path to the
internet and the opportunities it brings.”

