Journalists from CNN, Washington Post and New York Times saw their Twitter account suspended Thursday evening, without explanation.
Several of them had written about a new Twitter policy, which prohibited users from posting real-time information about private jet movements, including the whereabouts of Elon Musk and his family.
Freedom of the press is fundamental, and non-negotiable. It is one of the pillars of our democracy.
says Pablo Rodriguez, while Elon Musk is a self-proclaimed great defender of freedom of expression.
Every time we silence the voices of journalists, it is worrying for our society
says the Minister, who assures us that Canadian Heritage analyze the situation
.
But Mr. Rodriguez does not further explain what the Canadian government’s recourse could be, nor on what basis the government could intervene.
Caution against Meta
Minister Rodriguez again qualified bullying
the remarks of Meta, owner of Facebook, which threatens to block the Canadian media on its platform, to protest against the passage of a bill in the Commons.
Bill C-18, if it passes the Senate stage, would force web giants, such as Meta or Google, to enter into negotiations with Canadian media, in order to compensate them financially for the use of their content. on their platform.
Facebook essaie d’intimider les Canadiens et ça ne marchera pas, affirme le ministre. Il va falloir qu’ils changent de stratégie parce que les Canadiens n’acceptent pas ça.”,”text”:”Facebook essaie d’intimider les Canadiens et ça ne marchera pas, affirme le ministre. Il va falloir qu’ils changent de stratégie parce que les Canadiens n’acceptent pas ça.”}}”>Facebook is trying to intimidate Canadians and it won’t work, says minister. They will have to change their strategy because Canadians do not accept that.
However, Minister Rodriguez acknowledges that he has very few tools at his disposal to prevent Facebook from carrying out his threat.
It’s a business decision, it’s their choice, it’s their right
he admits, but it comes with consequences
. The minister serves a warning to Meta about possible financial losses.
The exchange of news on their platform allows them to sell their advertising more expensively
says the minister. The Canadian market contributes greatly to Facebook’s profits. So I would think twice.
Facebook had carried out a similar threat in Australia a few years ago, only to change its mind a few days later.
The Minister recalls that 450 newsrooms have closed their doors in Canada in recent years, and that Bill C-18 will allow Canadian media to restore a balance of power against the giants of the web, who makes a lot of money, billions of dollars
says Pablo Rodriguez.