Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Facebook for blocking Canada’s wildfire, accusing the platform of putting profits over people’s safety.
“Right now, in an emergency situation where up-to-date local information is more important than ever, Facebook is putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Cornwall on Prince Edward Island.
“It is so inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of insuring that local news organizations can get up-to-date information to Canadians,” he added.
Earlier this month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, affirmed that it will block news content from Canada on its platforms because of a new law that requires tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online.
Government ministers called on Meta on Friday to lift its Canada news ban, which applies to local outlets as well as national media such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“This is Facebook’s choice,” Trudeau said. “In a democracy, quality local journalism matters, and it matters now more than ever before when people are worried about their homes, worried about their communities, worried about the worst summer for extreme events that we’ve had in a very long time.”
