SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook says it's changing the name of its controversial Internet.org app and mobile website to Free Basics by Facebook.
The rebranding will help consumers better distinguish between the broader Internet.org initiative and the app and web site, the company said in a statement.
Internet.org has faced a major backlash in India which has fueled a debate over free access to the Internet in the country. Indian Prime Minisister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Facebook for a town hall-style question-and-answer session with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday that will be aired on prime time television in India.
India is key to Facebook's global ambitions. It is home to the world's third-largest population of Internet users
The Facebook-led initiative's aim is to bring free Internet access to four billion people around the globe who don't have it and to increase Internet access for those whose access is limited.
But Internet.org has been criticized for offering access only to certain web sites in violation of net neutrality, the idea that Internet providers should treat all online services equally.
Advocacy groups accused Internet.org of creating a "two-tiered" Internet "in which the world's poorest people will only be able to access a limited set of insecure websites and services."
The Internet.org app typically provides a bare-bones, low-bandwidth version of Facebook and its messaging service Messenger as well as other services such as health information.
Zuckerberg has defended Internet.org, saying it does not block or throttle services. If people can't afford to pay for Internet access, "it is always better to have some access and voice than none at all," he said.
But he has also moved to quell concerns. Facebook has opened up Internet.org to outside developers as long as their sites can work in low-data conditions. On Thursday Facebook said Internet.org has added 60 new services.
In response to another complaint from critics, Facebook says Internet.org is beefing up security and privacy to protect users from malicious attacks and to shield them from prying eyes. Facebook says it will encrypt information wherever possible.