[ampersandy]

but at the loss of any other social network upstart that wants in on it

Who do you think is footing the bill for those Facebook-only plans? Covering the costs of all internet use sounds like an unsustainable business strategy.

Are 'social network upstarts' losing out on users in the USA because people don't want (or can't afford) to pay for a data plan? How is this any different?

[jarjoura]

Well, lower income families in the US are far richer than equivalent families in emerging markets. Either that, or they at LEAST have access to credit to make access possible, just a burden. So that's not really a fair comparison.