Alberta Premier Danielle Smith not banned from Facebook, Meta says

Danielle Smith said she had been banned from posting on her Facebook page and she decried Big Tech censorship. Meta says the premier can still post

Published Jun 15, 2023  •  Last updated 3 hours ago  •  1 minute read

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference on March 23, 2023. Photo by REUTERS/Lars Hagberg/File Photo/File Photo

Despite Alberta Premier Danielle Smith saying that she’s been banned from posting to Facebook, Meta, which owns the social media website, says she’s actually able to continue posting.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay, Rex Murphy and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism.

SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay, Rex Murphy and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism.

REGISTER FOR MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors.

On Wednesday, Smith tweeted that her Facebook account had “been banned from posting content for a ‘few days,'” and warned about “big tech and government censorship.”

“As the Premier of a province of 4.6 million Albertans — if they can prevent me from communicating with you, imagine what they can do to any one of us. Regardless of our political leanings, we must all stand against censorship,” Smith said.

She did not specify what had been done — or allegedly done — to receive such a ban.

The National Post reached out to Meta on Thursday morning, requesting information about this ban.

The company says it isn’t true, and that Smith can continue to post to her Facebook page.

“There were no restrictions placed on the Premier’s Page. One of the Page’s administrators faced restrictions, but that did not impact the underlying Page’s ability to post content,” said David Troya-Alvarez, a Meta spokesperson.

Meta did not address how many administrators have access to Smith’s official Facebook page, who had been banned and what they had done to face restrictions on posting.

Smith tweeted Thursday saying she now had access to her accounts again. “I hope this is the last time it happens,” she wrote.