NEW YORK: Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (pix) has attacked Facebook for preventing the spread of crucial local news on the country’s wildfire situation, reported German news agency (dpa).
“It’s inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of ensuring that local news organisations can get up-to-date information to Canadians,“ Trudeau said at a press conference on Monday.
“Instead of making sure local journalists are fairly paid for keeping Canadians informed about issues like wildfires, Facebook is blocking news from its sites,“ Trudeau said.
At the start of the month, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, began blocking Canadians from viewing news links and content posted by local or international news publishers and broadcasters. The move is in response to a new law that will force tech giants to pay news outlets for posting their content on the platforms. It is expected to take effect in Canada by December.
“Right now in an emergency situation where up-to-date information is more important than ever, Facebook is putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety,“ Trudeau said.
Canada’s British Columbia province has been under a state of emergency since Friday, as fires continue to tear through the region.
The premier of British Columbia, David Eby, said on Monday that at least 50 residences around West Kelowna, about 350 km inland of the state capital Vancouver, had been engulfed by the blaze.
A state of emergency remains in force for the city, which is home to 36,000 people. The city of Kelowna, with a population of almost 150,000, is also affected by the fires.
The situation has eased over the past 24 hours due to the deployment of firefighters and rescue workers. Residents and authorities are pinning their hopes on rain predicted for Tuesday. -Bernama
