Tech News: Lobbying commissioner should investigate Facebook: Charlie Angus

The documents which CBC News has not been able to independently verify describehow Facebook pressured the Conservative industry minister, Christian Paradis, to promise Facebook would not be subject to Canadian privacy laws if it set up a data centre in Canada. The documents reportedly say Facebook wanteda letter from Paradis assuring it that the government would not claim jurisdiction over non-Canadian data if Facebook built the proposed data centre.

The e-mails also detail how Marne Levine, then Facebook's vice-president of global public policy, complained that one of Paradis' aides was making the company's efforts to convince the minister more difficult.

While Facebook's team distracted the aide, Levine was able to "touch base" with three cabinetministers and get their cellphone numbers.

Lobbying is legal in Canada but, under federal lobbying rules, companies that want to lobby Canadian politicians and public officials are supposed to first register with Canada's lobbying commissioner and report on the meetings that they hold, unless they fall under a handful of exceptions in the law.

CrestviewStrategy and Erin O'Toole, who is now a Conservative MP, both reported meeting government officials on behalf of Facebook, but none of the meetings involved cabinet ministers.

Angus, who serves as vice-chairman of the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee, said he will propose the committee study the e-mails and Facebook's actions.

"They need to respect our laws and they need to certainly start to come out into the open with the kind of backroom lobbying that they have been getting away with."

It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.

Original article