On Monday, Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister blasted Meta for banning domestic news from its platforms like wildfires rage, saying during a crisis, up-to-date information is crucial.
Addressing a televised news conference in the Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island, he said, “Facebook is putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety.” He also added that the company’s actions were “inconceivable”.
Trudeau’s comments appears to be the latest government attack on Meta, which started blocking news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for all users in Canada this month in response to a new law which requires internet giants to pay for news articles.
Last week, Federal Liberal cabinet ministers described the ban as reckless and irresponsible. Some people complained to domestic media that because of the ban, sharing of important data regarding the fires was prevented.
Trudeau said, “It’s time for us to expect more from corporations like Facebook that are making billions of dollars off of Canadians,”
According to a company spokesperson, on the platform, the Canadians can still have access to information from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations.
As per reports, activation of the “Safety Check” feature has been done by Facebook that allows users to spread the word that they are safe in the wake of a natural disaster or a crisis.
