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Mark Zuckerberg talks Whatsapp, Facebook, and Internet.org (pictures)

Rather than giving any big product announcements, Zuckerberg talked about the recent acquisition of Whatsapp Messenger, Internet.org, and several other topics.

Hot ticket
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Hot ticket

BARCELONA, Spain -- One of the hottest tickets at Mobile World Congress, throngs of people showed up to hear what Zuckerberg had to say. The smartphones came out in force to get photos of Mark Zuckerberg as he sat down.
David Kirkpatrick interviews Mark Zuckerberg
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

David Kirkpatrick interviews Mark Zuckerberg

David Kirkpatrick took the stage first to sit down with Mark Zuckerberg and talk about the acquisition of Whatsapp Messenger, Zuckerberg's foundation, Internet.org, and a number of other topics.
What's next?
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

What's next?

With Internet.org, Zuckerberg wants to create an "on-ramp" to the Internet. "We want to create a similar dial tone to the Internet," referencing dialing 911 -- basic services that you can get by phone, even if you don't have a phone plan. He cited basic services like emergency warnings and the like, all text-based and very low data. And they're portals to more content, thus encouraging people to explore the Internet.
Basic Internet for everyone
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Basic Internet for everyone

When asked how long it will take before everyone could have basic services, Zuckerberg replied, "I hope that we can prove that the model works, and then get to the place to work with a larger number of carrier partners within the next two or three years. This is a long-term thing for us..." But, he hopes to reach better than a billion people over the next five years.
Make it affordable
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Make it affordable

Zuckerberg said we need to decrease the cost of the Internet infrastructure. Basically, the hardware and the necessary equipment to run it should be more affordable. Zuckerberg said that more spectrum availability would help, along with reduced costs of smartphones. Kirkpatrick referenced the $25 Mozilla smartphone that was announced today.
Zuckerberg on NSA and the Internet
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Zuckerberg on NSA and the Internet

Kirkpatrick asked about the Snowden revelations: "Could this potentially be a problem for the success of Facebook in the future overseas?"

Zuckerberg said, "The NSA issues I think are real issues for American Internet companies. Trust is so important." He said the NSA was "way over the line" in terms of not being transparent enough. "They're only now starting to get to the range of where they should have been, and this thing could have all been avoidable."

Mark Zuckerberg on camera
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Mark Zuckerberg on camera

Mark Zuckerberg shown on a cameraman's monitor at Mobile World Congress.
End of interview
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Photo by Stephen Shankland/CNET

End of interview

At the end of the interview, Zuckerberg and Kirkpatrick exited stage right.

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