Facebook To Help UN Bring Internet Access To Refugee Camps

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced over the weekend that he and Facebook plan to help the UN bring internet access to refugee camps. Zuckerberg says that internet access is an "enabler of human rights" and a "force for peace." Zuckerberg also pointed out that helping to bring internet access to more users isn't altruism, that "we all" benefit when we are more connected.

Granted online giants like Facebook and others might benefit more than most of us from more people being online. While Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would be helping bring internet access to the camps, he stopped short of saying when and where the help would begin.

Zuckerberg made his remarks at a lunch hosted by the US Private Sector forum at the UN HQ. Facebook isn't the only company working to bring internet access to the millions of people around the world who are currently without it.

Internet.org has a stated goal of bringing access to the four million folks around the world who can't afford internet or lack access to it online. Internet.org and major cellular carriers have teamed up to give free access to Facebook and other websites in developing nations. Facebook is a way that many people share news and keep up with the safety of friends and family in a crisis. Facebook has also shown off components of a large drone that is designed to bring WiFi connectivity to areas unserved by internet currently.

SOURCE: NYT