Facebook testing new app to provide free data in developing countries

The app, called Discover, provides users with a balance of free browsing data provided by several mobile partners.

Social media giant Facebook is testing a new app which provides free internet access in developing countries.

The app, called Discover, provides users with a balance of free browsing data provided by several mobile partners. Facebook is running the first trial in Peru, but it plans to launch in a number of other countries in the future, including Thailand, the Philippines, and Iraq, The Verge reported.

The app users will receive free data from their provider each day and will get a notification when it is available. It restricts the multimedia usage due to the low-bandwidth browsing and only loads text on a website.

You don't need a Facebook account to use Discover. Facebook also claims that the app doesn't collect users' browsing histories "in connection with them" and does not store their activity to target Facebook ads.

( With inputs from ANI )