St-Onge says the social media giant is ruthlessly putting people’s lives on the line by blocking Canadian news articles on its two giant platforms.

“Facebook, Meta have decided to put their own interests ahead of public safety,” she said in an interview on Saturday. As a company, they should behave like good corporate citizens and lift their ban so we can ensure people have access to the information they need.”

Meta blocked Canadian news on its social media platforms earlier this month in response to federal law Bill C-18, which forces some tech giants to pay for news content broadcast on their platforms. Meta is the parent company of the Facebook platform and also owns Instagram.

Meanwhile, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have declared states of emergency as wildfires spread to cities including West Kelowna, British Columbia and the state capital, Yellowknife.

As tens of thousands of people flee on evacuation orders, they are unable to find Canadian media content on Facebook or Instagram to provide them with the latest information from authorities.

Bill C-18 is not yet in force, although it has passed the House of Commons, Ms St-Onge reminded.

This means that Meta is not yet required to pay for Canadian news published on its sites. The company, along with other tech giants, media outlets and members of the public, will be asked to comment on any regulations resulting from the draft law, she added. This consultation phase will start in the next few days.

“Facebook decided to stop the news before the bill came into force, instead of participating in the consultation process and helping us to make sure the deal is right,” lamented Minister St-Onge.

“It’s a choice and a decision that the company has made. And now we’re seeing people’s lives being put at risk as a result,” she added.

government gives in

Instead, Jeff Jarvis, a journalism professor at the City University of New York, argues that it is the Canadian government’s duty to back down.

“The Heritage Minister should look in the mirror,” he said in an interview on Saturday, adding that Bill C-18 himself was “reckless”.

“The government has been repeatedly warned about this problem, namely that the citizens of Canada could be deprived of information sources,” the professor recalled.

Mr Jarvis believes Ottawa Meta should signal that it is open to negotiations. In response, and given the devastating wildfires, Meta should reconsider its ban on Canadian news as a show of goodwill, he believes.

Ms St-Onge said the federal government is open to negotiations with Meta and that she hopes the company will participate in the consultation phase on the bill. However, she has not heard from the company, which has also not disclosed its intentions regarding the consultation, she said.

In a statement emailed on Friday, a meta spokesperson referenced the company’s Safety Check feature, which allows users to let their Facebook friends know they’re safe.

They can also “ask for help, check that their loved ones are safe and access updates from trusted sources,” the unsigned email reads. The company said that security screening had been activated for the Yellowknife and Kelowna fires. There is also a corresponding crisis page with news from international sources for both fires.

“Canadians can continue to use our technologies to connect with their communities and access trusted information, including content from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations,” the email reads.

It was unclear if Meta intended to lift the ban and allow users to post stories from Canadian media.