Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#91

Post by billfruit » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:48 AM UTC

mycall wrote: post #19

kumarvvr wrote: post #14

This is too much control for one company. This is really bad for democracy. JIO is deeply embedded into the rural populace. Exactly the ones who are vulnerable to disinformation campaigns. And facebook just bought a key to the gates.

Does India have less free speech protections?

Very less, people are routinely arrested for simple things like posting on FB on Twitter. And there is some Draconian sedition law, almost all critisim of government can be persecuted under that.

Also the freedom of speech guarantees are very watered down in comparison with the USA.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#92

Post by _630w » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:49 AM UTC

econ_nut wrote: post #83

ddrt wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t their leader an extreme nationalist? How does it get worse than that?

You know, I would argue India is a much more functional democracy than USA at the moment. Unfortunately, it isn't because India has suddenly become more democratic. Fortunately, we are at least not committing guillotine-level crimes. For example, we don't have the biggest businesses being bailed out while 20+ million people are simultaneously unemployed. But let us leave that aside for a minute. People make these dir…

> You know, I would argue India is a much more functional democracy than USA at the moment. Unfortunately, it isn't because India has suddenly become more democratic. Fortunately, we are at least not committing guillotine-level crimes. For example, we don't have the biggest businesses being bailed out while 20+ million people are simultaneously unemployed.

Whataboutism does nothing but add more misery.

And why are you asking people to assassinate mark Zuckerberg...on hn. Check the guidelines please.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#93

Post by nihahs » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:50 AM UTC

ddrt wrote: post #52

kumarvvr wrote: post #14

This is too much control for one company. This is really bad for democracy. JIO is deeply embedded into the rural populace. Exactly the ones who are vulnerable to disinformation campaigns. And facebook just bought a key to the gates.

Isn’t their leader an extreme nationalist? How does it get worse than that?

Which is exactly why it gets problematic.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#94

Post by just42 » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:52 AM UTC

haltingproblem wrote: post #74

dingdongding wrote: post #57

So Facebook paid 5.7 billion dollar to buy "influence" in India. The biggest influencer of India is Mukesh Ambani who has strong influence in Indian politics. Now it will be a matter of months and WhatsApp payments will get regulatory approval to go ahead to launch WhatsApp payments in India. That is the boss move here IMO. Jio is just a way to solve for regulatory hurdles in India.

Jumping the gun here. Jio's founder, Ambani has his own ambitions in this space and he is highly unlikely to carry water for FB. This is akin to saying when Microsoft took a stake in Apple that they would carry water for Apple. They are frenemies at best and outright competitors. FB gets to deploy its cash hoard into a relatively safe and perhaps lucrative investment and buy some insurance to being treated fairly on…

So no solace, because it's even worse. Jio is a bigger danger than FB to us Indians, we just don’t seem to realize/care (as in being an information monopoly). I don’t think even Jio realizes it. They may believe that they are doing God’s service in providing affordable 21st century services to the masses. But that’s how the really bad stuff usually starts.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#95

Post by sbmthakur » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:56 AM UTC

9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #36

a-ve wrote: post #5

This is bad. One executive at Jio already confirmed they use DPI to monitor traffic on their networks, and their apps, be it their MyJio, JioTV, JioNews, etc. ask for almost every permission there is. Also, it looks like the Zuck hasn't given up on his internet.org thing yet. He failed the first time, might as well join hands with a person who literally is the Government in India. Can't switch to Idea because they we…

> a person who literally is the Government in India Out of the loop: can you clarify what you mean by this?

Jio's parent company is Reliance Industries which is run by the richest family in India. So the usual rich people bad is the reasoning here. In reality, all rules are applied to Jio just like they are applied to other companies. I know this because I have worked there for a while.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#96

Post by TriNetra » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:56 AM UTC

a-ve wrote: post #81

TriNetra wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are over-blowing his control: My quick search brings following two things which is opposite to what this thread is claiming. 1. Reliance Jio may not be pleased with govt's spectrum moratorium to telcos: https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/telecom/why-reliance-ji... 2. India Trying to Stop Reliance From Selling Assets, Times Says: https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/india-trying-to-stop...

Telecoms in India are in a tremendous amount of debt. So much so, Vodafone and Idea had to merge but still they have immense financial problems. They are asking for the moratorium because Jio gave away their services for free, undercutting every player there is and the telecom regulator did nothing about it. WRT your first link, it was posted on November 21, 2019. This year the Supreme Court ordered the telecoms to p…

Regarding telcos dues, AFAIK those companies have been avoiding the dues for decades and they must be held accountable some day isn't it? I can't comment on whether or not TRI should have intervened when JIO started offering free services - if it was allowed as per the regulation intervening by TRI could have given a message that it was acting for protecting existing players and if it wasn't allowed by regulations, Telcos would have gone to court.

Regarding the on-going talks of selling asset, since court has already ordered Reliance to reveal assets, they just can't do away with whatever is the liability set. Indian court system is not a joke.

My original point was that Reliance or Mukesh do not rule India; yes they are clever and do lobbying as any other capitalist does but they don't control the nation or gov.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#97

Post by a-ve » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 5:57 AM UTC

9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #36

a-ve wrote: post #5

This is bad. One executive at Jio already confirmed they use DPI to monitor traffic on their networks, and their apps, be it their MyJio, JioTV, JioNews, etc. ask for almost every permission there is. Also, it looks like the Zuck hasn't given up on his internet.org thing yet. He failed the first time, might as well join hands with a person who literally is the Government in India. Can't switch to Idea because they we…

> a person who literally is the Government in India Out of the loop: can you clarify what you mean by this?

Mukesh Ambani once said to the son of the previous BJP PM that Congress (the previous ruling party) is his own private shop.

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/kya-congress-muke...

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#98

Post by letmelurkaround » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 6:04 AM UTC

dingdongding wrote: post #57

So Facebook paid 5.7 billion dollar to buy "influence" in India. The biggest influencer of India is Mukesh Ambani who has strong influence in Indian politics. Now it will be a matter of months and WhatsApp payments will get regulatory approval to go ahead to launch WhatsApp payments in India. That is the boss move here IMO. Jio is just a way to solve for regulatory hurdles in India.

This is totally true. Just lobby the biggest business instead of the government who didn’t bend for you.

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#99

Post by randall_sg » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 6:04 AM UTC

searchableguy wrote: post #16

kapilkchaurasia wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

India is a developing nation and it will have to depend on foreign investment unless zero corruption government help local business out. What is required to do that ministry keep a close eye before agreeing on such deals and afterwards like in case of internet.org initiatives. >I am okay with small startups getting investment They can also be worst. During the period April 2015-March 2020, of the 30 Indian unicorns (…

Small startups are not unicorns. Small startups don't have the ability to censor you as much as your ISP especially if all your friends and family use the same one. India's net neutrality laws are already a joke when nothing is enforced and you can't access normal sites on jio in some states. I am talking about reddit, github, and heck even stack. What india needs is to invest in their own businesses and stop using i…

Ultimately those small startup into turn into unicorns

Re: Facebook Takes $5.7B Stake in India’s Jio

#100

Post by letmelurkaround » Wed, Apr 22, 2020, 6:06 AM UTC

achow wrote: post #2

Mark Zuckerberg in his FB post: There's a lot going on in the world right now, but I wanted to share an update on our work in India. Facebook is teaming up with Jio Platforms -- we're making a financial investment, and more than that, we're committing to work together on some major projects that will open up commerce opportunities for people across India. India is home to the largest communities on Facebook and Whats…

This isn’t a good thing for India’s Digital Transformation.