A Canadian government cabinet minister previously responsible for implementing Bill C-18 is now angrily demanding that Meta lift a ban on domestic news to allow people in Yellowknife to get and share information about wildfires..People fleeing remote northern communities have complained the ban is preventing them from sharing important information about the fires..That in turn prompted an angry response from Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who was previously heritage minister in July when Meta began blocking Canadian news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.."What Meta is doing now is completely unacceptable. We see that due to this ban, people do not have access to information that is absolutely crucial," Rodriguez told a briefing.."I demand that Meta reverse this decision." .St. Catherine’s MP Chris Bittle, who is also Parliamentary Secretary to Heritage Minister Pascal St-Onge, complained on Thursday that "Meta's actions to block news are reckless and irresponsible.".In an email to the BBC, St-Onge urged Meta to reconsider.."We believe we have a path forward in the regulatory process and we're willing to continue talking with the platforms," she said..In response, a Meta spokesperson told Reuters the company had activated the 'Safety Check' feature on Facebook that allows users to indicate they are safe in the wake of a natural disaster or crisis..About 77% of Canadians use Facebook and about one in four of those say it’s their primary source of local news.
