The ongoing tussle between Meta and Canada’s federal government over big tech’s compensation for news publishers has created a local media vacuum for Yellowknife evacuees, who had to flee the Northwest Territories’ capital because of a rapidly approaching wildfire, making it harder to spread life-saving information in the midst of the emergency.
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Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, which forces large social media platforms to pay Canadian news publishers for sharing their content, recently became law despite pushback from internet companies. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it would pull news from its subsidiaries if the requirement became mandatory—and on Aug. 1, it did.
As the Northwest Territories battle 236 of the 1,050 fires active in the country, sharing information directly from credible news sources like national publisher CBC, local newspaper The Yellowknifer, and digital broadcaster Cabin Radio on social media is off the table for the 20,000 Yellowknife residents hit with an evacuation order.
Meanwhile, Meta is sticking to its guns. “People in Canada are able to use Facebook and Instagram to connect to their communities and access reputable information, including content from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organisations,” Meta spokesperson David Troya-Alvarez told CBC on Aug. 17.
One big number: Canadians rely heavily on Facebook, Google for local news
Up to 50%: Share of Canadians that use social media or Google to find out what’s happening in cities and towns across the country, according to Dwayne Winseck, professor of communication and media studies at Carleton University
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“We’re annoyed, because here we are in the middle of a severe wildfire season, with a bunch of evacuations, and your ability to access our reporting is about to be restricted. It makes no sense and, frankly, it’s dangerous. […] But on the flip side of this: screw ’em all. You don’t actually need Meta or Google to get accurate, timely reporting about the Northwest Territories.”
The government’s new law and Meta’s reticence to comply are together creating a dangerous online environment. Already, misinformation is running rampant.
“When it comes to how far away the fire is, that’s definitely been a concern for everybody, because I know there’s been a lot of misinformation about where it is and what’s going on with it,” Yellowknife resident Kelsey Worth told CBC mid-evacuation from the North Arm Territorial Park yesterday (Aug. 17). “I watch the satellite maps now because I can’t get an accurate number on where it’s at.”
People are increasingly going directly to the publishers’ websites. But then, to alert friends and family of the natural disaster’s devastating progression, Worth and others are resorting to taking and posting screengrabs from these news sites. While it’s a quick fix in this emergency situation, in the long run, this isn’t a sound strategy.
Ahmed Al-Rawi, head of the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University, has warned that the inability to authenticate news will lead to a surge in fake news, including doctored screenshots.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
