As wildfires rage across British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was “inconceivable” that Meta has continued to block news in Canada in response to the federal government’s Online News Act.
Mr. Trudeau made the comments during a press conference in Cornwall, P.E.I., on Aug. 21, ahead of the Liberal cabinet’s retreat.
“Right now, in an emergency situation, up-to-date local information is more important than ever,” he said, while accusing Meta of “putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety.”
Tens of thousands of people in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have been forced to evacuate their homes due to out-of-control wildfires bearing down on their communities. Over 30,000 people have fled their homes in British Columbia, while over 19,000 people have evacuated the capital of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.
Meta started blocking Canadian news on its social media sites in early August in response to the passage of the Liberal government’s Online News Act (Bill C-18), which requires some tech giants to pay for news content that is shared on their platforms.
This has meant wildfire evacuees attempting to stay up-to-date on instructions from officials have been unable to find that content from Canadian news outlets on Facebook or Instagram.
“How we choose to comply with the legislation is a business decision we must make, and we have made our choice,” the company said in a previous statement.
Mr. Trudeau said Facebook has made “billions of dollars in profits” in the last few years, “including off of Canadian journalists” and it was “inconceivable” that it would put those profits over ensuring news organizations can provide up-to-date information to Canadians fleeing wildfires.
When asked by a reporter if the Liberal government would consider reversing the Online News Act, Mr. Trudeau said it was “Facebook’s decision to put corporate profits ahead of allowing Canadians to access the news.”
On Aug. 19, Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge also called for Meta to end its ban on Canadian news content amid the wildfires, calling it a public safety issue.
“As a company, they should be acting as good corporate citizens and reverse their ban so that we can make sure that people have access to the information that they need,” she said.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times. A company spokesperson has previously said Canadians can still access information from official government agencies, emergency services, and non-governmental organizations on the platform.
