Meta’s fight with feds impacts emergency info sharing for southwestern Ont. municipality

The Online News Act standoff between the federal government and tech-giant Meta Platforms Inc. is negatively impacting emergency communications in Chatham-Kent, Ont. Currently at a stalemate, the passing of the Online News Act– which asks the owners of Facebook and Alphabet Inc.'s Google to compensate news agencies for the content they create – has led to an across-the-board ban of all news outlets in Canada – leading to a dearth of information for Canadians who rely on Facebook or Instagram to access news. According to Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue chief Chris Case, it’s becoming a problem. Case’s comments came in response to a question from Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew at Monday's council meeting regarding emergency communications following a severe thunderstorm that rolled through the region last month. “The thing that we found challenging a few weeks ago, and our colleagues in the media will know this better than anyone, is the impact of Bill C-18 and the dispute between Meta, Facebook, Google and the federal government,” Case said, adding that the biggest audience for information on emergencies stems from posting the information on social media. “And in Chatham-Kent, Facebook seems to be the way to go,” he said, but noted sharing news on the social media application isn’t happening at the moment. “We are beginning to see that as an issue,” Case explained. Through the summer months, Case said storm warnings were being sent out two to three times per week by various agencies including the local conservation authorities and municipality. As for the Aug. 24, storm Case said emergency services “geared up” in preparation. The chief said he went live on a Chatham radio station at midnight that evening to share the message, something he said he has not done for a long while. Plus, Case said, posts continued on the Chatham-Kent website to apprise local residents about cleaning up the storm’s aftermath. Case is not the only person concerned. A new survey found 51 per cent of Canadians are worried about the Online News Act's impact on how they stay informed, with 64 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 (Gen Zs and Millennials) concerned about access to news. The survey was conducted by Canadian communications agency Talk Shop Media between Aug. 28 and 30, among a sample of 1,505 Canadian members of the Angus Reid Forum. Among those concerned, 70 per cent plan to change how they get their news, with 42 per cent saying they plan to get more news from sources not impacted by the act, including newsletters, news publication apps, visiting news websites directly, physical papers, watching the news, or listening to the radio. The survey also found that the top sources of Canadian news consumption are news websites at 56 per cent, social media close behind at 52 per cent, and TV at 47 per cent. The survey found substantial age differences in these categories: 64 per cent of Canadian Gen Zs and Millennials get news from social media, whereas only 40 per cent of those aged 55 and older do. On the flip side, only 28 per cent of the Gen Z and Millennial cohort get news from TV, whereas 65 per cent of the 55 and up group do. Talk Shop stated that its findings show how important delivering digital content is if those aged 18 to 34 are going to stay informed, adding that consumers must be directed to newsletters, news websites, and apps. --Reporting by Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chatham Voice, with additional reporting from Phalen Tynes-MacDonald at pcreed@thewirereport.ca.

Meta’s fight with feds impacts emergency info sharing for southwestern Ont. municipality

News | September 13, 2023

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Meta’s fight with feds impacts emergency info sharing for southwestern Ont. municipality

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