Premier David Eby has now officially spoken out about the spat between Meta and the Canadian Government over Bill C-18, the Online News Act.
In a BC wildfire update on Monday, August 21st, Premier Eby commented on his profound disappointment in Mark Zuckerberg for not allowing emergency information to be shared on Facebook and Instagram.
Premier Eby was asked during the media scrum if he had concerns over the ban on online news being shared on social media platforms during this unprecedented time of disaster.
The Premier responded by saying how impressed he has been with company owners within British Columbia who have been showing acts of selflessness in order to help each other out while Meta has censored crucial local journalism in a time of need.
“I find it astonishing that the owners of Facebook and Instagram have not come forward and said, ‘look, we’re trying to make a point with the federal government, but it’s more important that people are safe, it’s more important that they have access to basic information through our networks and that we can deal with our concerns with the federal government and their news laws later,’” said Premier David Eby.
“I call on Facebook again, Mr. Zuckerberg, open up access to Canadian media so that British Columbians can share critical local information and be safe. It’s incredibly frustrating to me that we have to be making this call at this stage in a crisis, but I hope that common sense prevails there, but currently it seems to be in short supply,” he added.
Due to the online news act, many people, particularly in the West Kelowna and Okanagan regions under evacuation order, did not realize they had to leave their homes. Because of this, BC Wildfire Services and other emergency crews have had to waste precious time and resources to ensure people are aware when they have to evacuate.
Related:
- Here’s a list of ways you can see Victoria Buzz stories despite Canada’s Online News Act
- State of Emergency: Here’s everything you need to know about BC’s wildfire situation
Neither Meta, nor Mark Zuckerberg have made a direct response to the comments made by Premier Eby. The latest media release regarding the Online News Act was Meta’s June 1st statement saying, “We have been transparent and have made it clear to the Canadian government that the legislation misrepresents the value news outlets receive when choosing to use our platforms.”
“The legislation is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is true,” Meta added.
Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined the chorus of Canadians calling on Meta to at least temporarily allow news content to be seen while speaking at a news conference in Prince Edward Island.
“Right now in an emergency situation where up-to-date local information is more important than ever, Facebook’s putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety, ahead of supporting quality local journalism,” said Premier Trudeau.
“This is not the time for that.”
Meta is currently trying to strongarm the Canadian government by showing them the power they hold over what people can and can’t see while the feds are working to implement the online news act by December 19th.
With Meta limiting the reach of news and media outlets on their platforms due to Canada’s Bill C-18, otherwise known as the Online News Act, it can be tough to have access to all of Victoria Buzz’s news and stories.
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