A digital expert says B.C.含羞草研究社檚 recent agreement with Meta and other digital companies around protecting youth online 含羞草研究社減robably含羞草研究社� represents the 含羞草研究社渂est outcome.含羞草研究社� But parts of the political opposition see the agreement as a 含羞草研究社渂ackroom deal含羞草研究社� at the expense of local news.
Brandon Laur, CEO of The White Hatter, a digital literacy and internet safety education specialist company, said last week含羞草研究社檚 agreement with the digital media companies to speed up the removal of 含羞草研究社渘on-consensual intimate images含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� so-called 含羞草研究社榬evenge porn含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� allows government to see results faster.
含羞草研究社淲orking together is probably better than 含羞草研究社業 am going to sue,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 he said. 含羞草研究社淗ow long did it take us to see changes with tobacco and now with pharmaceutical companies? That has taken years to deal with through the courts.含羞草研究社�
The agreement with X, formerly known as Twitter, Google, TikTok, Snap and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, emerged out of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 new online action table. The action table itself emerged after the B.C. NDP had placed Bill 12 含羞草研究社� the Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act 含羞草研究社� on hold. The bill 含羞草研究社� which died last week with the end of the legislative session 含羞草研究社� would have allowed government to sue social media giants and other 含羞草研究社渂ig faceless corporations含羞草研究社� for 含羞草研究社渉urting people.含羞草研究社�
Government had modelled the law after legislation with which B.C. had sued tobacco companies, then later pharmaceutical companies.
But Laur pointed to legal experts, who have expressed skepticism about the ability to prove harm from social media.
含羞草研究社淭here are some predictable outcomes from that (consuming drugs), but measuring and quantifying harm from social media, that is way more difficult.含羞草研究社�
The agreement also speaks of government exploring 含羞草研究社渙pportunities for technology companies to help amplify official information for people in emergency situations like wildfires.含羞草研究社�
Meta, which blocks Canadian news from Facebook and Instagram because of the federal Online News Act, has also agreed to the 含羞草研究社渄issemination of reputable information available from official sources, such as government agencies and emergency services含羞草研究社� in case of wildfires. That agreement includes what government calls 含羞草研究社渁dvertising support含羞草研究社� from Meta and the other companies to amplify 含羞草研究社渁wareness of safety resources含羞草研究社� throughout the wildfire season.
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B.C. United含羞草研究社檚 Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson, an area that requently experiences wildfires, questioned that aspect of the agreement.
含羞草研究社淭his Premier, however, decided to sell out the local news industry to Facebook in a backroom deal in exchange for government advertising and a promise by Facebook to amplify NDP propaganda, conveniently in the months leading up to the provincial election,含羞草研究社� Milobar said.
That has real-world implications, because Meta含羞草研究社檚 on-going ban on local news continues to deny British Columbians, including current evacuees in the Fort Nelson area, access to local news posted via social media.
Eby has in the past complained about Meta含羞草研究社檚 block of local news and urged the company to re-consider.
Attorney-General Niki Sharma, meanwhile, defended the agreement against Milobar含羞草研究社檚 charges involving Facebook.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e doing that for people that are facing really stressful wildfire situations,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淲hen they need information 含羞草研究社� the Premier has been clear on this 含羞草研究社� we expect those platforms to deliver that information straight from the ministry. We含羞草研究社檙e going to continue to do that work. We含羞草研究社檙e very proud of it.含羞草研究社�
Laur acknowledged problems with Meta含羞草研究社檚 role in amplifying government messages, when it blocks out local news.
含羞草研究社淵es, it does make it that the government is the sole messenger,含羞草研究社� Laur said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 the only story that goes through. If there (are) any competing challenges to the (government) messaging含羞草研究社hose contents and messages can含羞草研究社檛 be shared.含羞草研究社�
But Laur also tried to put things into perspective.
含羞草研究社淚 do see that there is a challenge, but on a balance of probability in terms of mitigating harm, I think getting warnings out to people is more important, especially evacuation orders, than any disagreements about government messaging that there might be.含羞草研究社�
The online action table will meet again in the fall and government has said that it always has the option of re-tabling the legislation, assuming re-election.
