The World Bank has said web neutrality should ensure largest potential Internet access to users and not sabotage their essential rights and liberties, expressing concern over moves by firms worldwide including Facebook in India to supply free Internet with limited accessibility to individuals.

“Caution ought to be taken to make sure that users possess the best potential access to Internet-based content, programs and services of their choice,” said the World Bank in a report.

“But traffic management measures, while valid, must not decrease the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, especially freedom of expression,” the report said.

Considering its view on web neutrality, the international financial institution offers made by firms like Facebook and in its report refer to the discussion in several developing countries like India.

“The recent tendency to come up with services in which some essential content may be obtained free of information costs (like Facebook’s Free Principles or Internet.org), while other content is subject to information prices, would seem to be the antithesis of web neutrality as well as a distortion of markets,” it said.

“However, some defend the practice as a way of expanding Internet use in low income nations.

A free and open Internet is a vital contributing factor to innovation in the digital economy, which makes it vital to shield this openness, it included.

So anything which is leading to this tendency is a great thing,” said Deepak Mishra, who authored the with Uwe Deichmann.