Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Meta on Monday for blocking domestic news on its platform, saying the Facebook parent company was prioritizing profit over safety as devastating wildfires forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.
Trudeau’s comments represent the latest government attack on Meta, which this month began blocking news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all users in Canada in response to a new law requiring internet giants to pay for news articles.
Meta has long said the Online News Act was unsustainable for its business because it priced links shared by users and introduced news bans ahead of the bill’s expected implementation by the end of the year.
Trudeau told a televised news conference in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island that “Facebook puts corporate profits above the safety of people” and called the company’s actions “unbelievable.”
Federal Liberal cabinet ministers last week called the ban reckless and irresponsible. Some people fleeing the wildfires have complained to national media that the ban prevents them from sharing vital data about the fires.
Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, with fires ravaging western British Columbia (BC) and the Northwest Territories (NWT) over the past week.
“It’s time we expect more from companies like Facebook, which make billions of dollars off Canadians,” Trudeau said in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island.
A Meta spokesperson said Canadians continue to use its platform to connect with the community and get information, including content from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations.
As of Friday, more than 45,000 people had used Facebook’s “Safety Check” feature to mark themselves safe, and about 300,000 visited crisis sites in Yellowknife, the Northwest Territories and Kelowna, British Columbia, according to the company. The page should be used to request support.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
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