Is Meta holding our country’s Canadians, us citizens, hostage by controlling what we can see on the social network? Citizens outside the country have access to media information published on Facebook, but Canadian citizens do not.

Obviously, and in my opinion, Meta’s decision to block news media on its social networks can put citizens at risk by denying citizens access to media sites. In fact, it may be a “hostage situation” against us citizens and a disregard for the laws of our country. Would Meta do the same in the US? In his own country?

Canada’s Prime Minister today indicated that Meta prioritizes its company’s profits over the welfare and information of Canadians.

(Meta) “prefers to leave people at risk than to do their fair share in support of democracy and local journalism,” added Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

People in the West Country are outraged at how Meta is faring. Authorities are calling for the media sites to be restored and the lockdown lifted.

Citizens in the west of the country are affected by large forest fires and cannot be informed in real time or alerted via the media pages on Facebook. Villages and communities are urgently evacuated. According to La Presse, a Meta spokesperson said people have access to reliable information through official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations.

We all know that the media is in direct communication with emergency responders, emergency services, authorities, governments and other officials and can transmit information live, via television, radio and internet and that the same information can be found in less than a few minutes on the social network Facebook. We all know that in an emergency, minutes count. Journalists are best at analyzing important information and summarizing it in under a few minutes.

In addition, the media are best placed to gather information.

We all know that Facebook is an excellent social network. The Newsfeed was created precisely for us to join and follow our friends, family, and yes, the media, through the media-wide PAGE section. Citizens have become accustomed to accessing media information via Facebook. Additionally, the media generates millions of dollars a month for Meta through the content they publish every day.

Before the introduction of Facebook, almost 70% of people found Zone911 through search engines, which of course also included Google. When Facebook arrived on the internet, everything slowly changed: now more than 52% of the readers come from Facebook.

ZONE911 publishes reports of searches, missing persons or actively wanted persons in connection with a criminal situation. ZONE911 is blocked by Facebook. How do you quickly reach a large number of subscribers? I repeat: In an emergency, minutes count. Since the meta ban, wanted ads aren’t seen as often. I can’t imagine when there will be a kidnapping event?

Facebook only targets news media. Gossip, entertainment, sports and humor media, for example, are not affected by the Meta block on Facebbok and Instagram. So it obviously looks like a “hostage situation” aimed at those who produce news and current events.

Meta’s blocking is not necessary and the multinational and multi-billion dollar company should abide by the laws of Canada as it applies to all citizens and businesses. There are limits and Meta has pushed them far!

Vincent Fradet
AREA911
editor