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A government minister from Canada demanded this Friday that the Aim lift the ban on Canadian news on your platforms to allow people to share information about the raging wildfires in the west of the country.
The company began blocking news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada this month, in response to a new law requiring internet giants to pay for the use of news articles.
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Some people fleeing wildfires in the remote city of Yellowknife in northern Canada have complained to local media that the ban is preventing them from sharing important fire data.
“What Meta is doing is completely unacceptable…we see that because of this ban, people are not having access to absolutely crucial information,” said Canadian Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, during a press conference.
“I demand that Meta reverse this decision,” continued Rodriguez, who in his previous role as heritage minister oversaw legislation requiring payment for items.
Chris Bittle, an MP for the ruling Liberal Party of Canada, complained on Thursday that “Meta’s measures to block the news are reckless and irresponsible.”
In response, a company spokesperson said the company has enabled the “Safety Check” feature on Facebook, which allows users to announce that they are safe after a natural disaster or crisis.
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