May 7, 2024 – Courtney Dickson/CBC

The province says it’s working with Meta, the company that owns the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, to ensure important information is distributed to its users during times of emergency, such as wildfires.

Last year, the social media giant announced it was ending news availability on its platforms in Canada, after the federal government passed the Online News Act, or Bill C-18, requiring big tech companies to pay media outlets for news content that is shared on their platforms.

That news came just ahead of the worst wildfire season in the province’s history — meaning people who use Facebook or Instagram for vital information weren’t able to easily access information from verified news sources.

At the time, Premier David Eby had pleaded with Meta to allow access to Canadian news on its platforms so residents could more easily access critical survival messaging.

In April, during a separate announcement that included social media companies like Meta, Eby said the company has “committed to working with B.C.’s emergency management officials to help amplify official information for people in emergency situations like wildfires.”

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says conversations with Meta are “just starting.”

“It’s incredibly important that British Columbians have access to emergency information,” she said. “It’s important for us to explore all opportunities available to us to bring that information to where people are, and a lot of people are on social media.”

Read the full article at cbc.ca.