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This article was published 19/4/2018 (888 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Facebook is free to use, from uploading photos to clicking the "like" button on others’ social media posts. But showing enthusiasm for federal programs could cost Ottawa some taxpayer money, and raises questions about user privacy.

Documents tabled in Parliament this week show Natural Resources Canada paid Facebook for each time users decided to "like" a Facebook post encouraging energy retrofits. It’s the first time it’s been reported the federal government has paid for advertisements based on their popularity.

The posting, on the Facebook page for Energy Star Canada, appeared in various Canadians’ Facebook feeds for two weeks last fall. The English and French version attracted a combined 3,611 "likes," which together cost the department $5,000.

It’s part of a relatively new advertising model where companies pay a low cost, or nothing, for Facebook to place ads on screens of users whom the social-media platform believes are most likely to be interested in the content. Facebook then charges for how many times those users "like" the post.

The data came in response to a formal request from the Conservatives on Facebook advertising among all federal departments. It revealed that none, at least since 2016, had paid for fake "likes," which is when companies commission bots to click the "like" button to make social-media content appear more popular.

Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr, who is the minister for Natural Resources Canada, said he’s confirmed the department did not pay for such bots. He's also asked Natural Resources Canada to analyze whether the ad was an effective way to inform Canadians about energy-saving programs.

"We seek to communicate with Canadians in their own medium, but there is no payment for the search for 'likes,' from the department," he said Wednesday.

Transcona-Elmwood MP Daniel Blaikie said Ottawa needs tighter rules on how it uses social media, since there are detailed rules for television and print advertisements.

"Social-media advertising, from a government point of view, is still largely unregulated, and I think that's a problem," said Blaikie, the NDP critic for the Treasury Board, which outlines spending criteria for federal departments.

The Treasury Board could not provide guidelines on social-media advertising Wednesday afternoon.

In February, the federal government revealed it has spent 55 per cent of its advertising budget on digital media in the fiscal year ending in March 2017, marking the first time it had spent more on internet ads than newspapers, television or billboards combined.

Blaikie said Ottawa should be advertising on social media, but there needs to be clear guidelines on partisanship, and how ads are purchased such as by the number of "likes."

"It's also a problem in light of all the revelations about Facebook and privacy," Blaikie said, raising a concern targeting Canadians mostly likely to be interested in certain government policies — and then having them confirm that interest through "likes" — could help third-party groups profile them.

"I think that the government also needs to turn its eye seriously to people's digital rights and security before they make this the most common way to advertise their programs," he said. "But they’ve put the cart before the horse."

Blaikie also had concerns about the government spending less on traditional advertising while paying advertising platforms based outside Canada.

"It doesn't support local media here in Canada, and (the) government hasn't taken any initiatives that would help replace that revenue for Canadian media that are filling a really important role in Canadian democracy."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca