OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned social networking giant Facebook it needs to fix its “fake news” problems or face stronger regulation from Ottawa.
Facebook has also faced criticism about a lack of transparency around who is buying ads on its platform.
As Canadian political parties prepare for the 2019 federal election, the source said Trudeau suggested Ottawa could intervene if Facebook doesn’t adequately address the issues.
According to the source, Trudeau was particularly concerned about Facebook identifying the origin of partisan “news” posts or advertisements.
The Trudeau government has a complicated relationship status with social media giants like Facebook and Twitter.
Elections Canada has already taken steps address cybersecurity issues, and Global Affairs has also taken an interest in the “fake news” phenomenon.
Trudeau was in San Francisco, Facebook’s backyard, on Friday, trying to promote Canada as a destination for high tech companies and entrepreneurs. »