Fb places ‘earnings’ over ‘well-being’ of customers, feds should crack down: NDP MP – Nationwide

New Democrats are demanding that the federal government take action against social media giants following the latest revelations by a Facebook manager that rekindled questions about the regulation of big tech.

NDP MP Charlie Angus called on Ottawa to set up an independent watchdog to combat disinformation, hateful posts and the transparency of algorithms on digital platforms.

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40% of Canadians have negative attitudes towards Facebook, say it amplifies hate: poll

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before a US Senate committee earlier this month that the company’s products harm children and fuel polarization in the US, a claim supported by internal company research submitted to the Wall Street Journal have leaked.

“MS. Haugen reveals that Facebook knew that its algorithms encourage hateful content and lead to a breakdown in civic engagement,” said Angus.

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“Facebook made the decision to drive profits through the use of its algorithms on the well-being of its users.”


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Zuckerberg defends himself against allegations by Facebook whistleblowers


Zuckerberg defends himself against allegations by Facebook whistleblowers – October 6, 2021

As the company faces intense public scrutiny over how its coding fans harm users’ inflammatory rhetoric and self-esteem, Angus suggests creating an independent ombudsman accountable to the House of Commons, similar to Canadian ethics- and data protection officer.

“Rather than relying on outdated institutions like the Competition Bureau or the CRTC, it is time the federal government set up a regulator that actually understands these acts,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made several promises in last month’s general election to revise Internet rules.

One promised to enact law to combat harmful online materials within 100 days of the formation of a government after the failure of a liberal law to regulate Facebook and other platforms.

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Facebook expands the circle of public figures and increases protection in the event of backlash

The plan would create a digital security officer to enforce a new regime targeting child pornography, terrorist content, hate speech and other harmful posts on social media platforms. The regulator’s teeth would be sharp enough to order social media companies to remove posts within 24 hours.

Many major platforms already have guidelines claiming to meet or exceed these requirements, with some attempting to highlight or remove misleading information – about COVID-19 vaccines, for example.


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Whistleblower: Facebook harms children, weakens democracy


Whistleblower: Facebook harms children, weakens democracy – October 5, 2021

New Democrats and Conservatives have also questioned why a new regulator is needed to crack down on exploitative material when the Criminal Code already bans child pornography, hate speech and the knowledgeable dissemination of illegal images.

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Trudeau said he would reinstate provisions of Bill C-10, which passed away in August following the start of the Senate election. The legislation aimed to bring global online streaming giants like Netflix and YouTube under the auspices of the Broadcasting Act, which required them to promote Canadian content and financially support the Canadian culture industry. The regime is overseen by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.

Angus said Monday that the bill was tantamount to a “political dumpster fire” and that a solution to a 21st century problem was the result.

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Facebook prioritized profits over calming hate speech, whistleblower claims

The law sparked months of debate over whether regulating online video was a government handover, with free speech advocates criticizing the law and the art community supporting it.

“I think it is probably better for us to have a stand-alone parliamentary official – who is subordinate to Parliament, who understands technology, who understands algorithms – than hand it over to the crap, the CRTC,” Angus said, adding to Bill C-10 contained “good ideas” for applying broadcast rules to big tech funding.

Facebook was not immediately available for comment on Monday.

In an email statement last week, Facebook Canada said it continues to make investments that target misinformation and harmful content.

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“Canadians come to Facebook to connect with loved ones, grow their businesses, and share what’s important to them,” the company wrote.

© 2021 The Canadian Press

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