Zuckerberg To Bring Internet To Refugee Camps

[Turborama]

Source: Sky News

Mark Zuckerberg has said he will help the United Nations bring the internet to refugee camps.

The Facebook founder and CEO made the announcement as he addressed the UN Private Sector Forum. "Connectivity will help refugees better access support from the aid community and maintain their links to families," he said.

Mr Zuckerberg called for universal internet access to be made a global priority. He said wide internet access "needs to be at the heart of the global development strategy" to address new challenges and needs of the new generation.

In the long term, Facebook will help UN agencies develop tools to track progress toward implementing the development goals, Mr Zuckerberg said.

Read more: http://news.sky.com/story/1559522/zuckerberg-to-bring-internet-to-refugee-camps

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It'll be good for the refugees to be able to get connected to the interwebs, but it's hard not to be cynical about his motives...

[Helen Borg]

1. They can gather information that could be useful to them...

Zuckerberg may just be doing it for good PR... Unlikely they'll be buying any stuff to be of use to advertisers...

[ellenrr]

2. call me crazy, but I think food and hygiene products might be more useful.

Women who menstruate have no products to use.
I kinda think medicine might be more useful...
Clothes.. it's getting cold in many of the countries where they are.

[LiberalElite]

3. I agree -

I guess he means well but... - Hey, we don't have clean water but Angry Birds!

[davidpdx]

4. I was thinking the same thing

There are many more things that would be important before having internet. How many of these refugees have a computer or a cell phone? Probably not that many.

[karynnj]

9. True, but one does not preclude the other

Consider that many of the refugees are educated people. Internet access can help them provide information to their relatives and friends that they are alive. In some cases, it might help them find people who can help them relocate and find jobs.

[CJCRANE]

5. It will also help Isis to recruit and spread their propaganda

among the disaffected masses.

Utilization of social media is one of the keys to their success.

[snagglepuss]

7. That was my first thought. How wise is it to give millions

of angry, hungry, traumatized people with time on their hands a means to be reached and radicalized by ISIS.

[karynnj]

10. I would assume that Zuckerberg and other have thought of this and have

thought of ways to make that less likely.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Looney

There's a whole world out there that functions independently of the internet.

Refugee camps are more akin to flea markets.

What shall we do when the refugees contact us? Wire them hot dogs?

[snagglepuss]

8. Maybe tune into the Food Network.

[YOHABLO]

11. Stupid ! This guy is vacuous to the needs of people. They need a home and food. Not an Ipad.