Representatives from the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Tuesday told MPs that the regulator will have “some authority” over user-generated content under Bill C-11, but claimed that the scope of that power will be limited — reports the National Post.
“User uploaded content can be the subject of some authority by the commission,” said Rachelle Frenette, CRTC general counsel and deputy executive director. However, she argued that “in relation to social media platforms, and user-uploaded content, are actually quite narrow.”
“The commission could, for example, issue certain rules with respect to discoverability, could perhaps issue rules… to respond to certain concerns on accessibility,” Frenette added.
Bill C-11 was tabled by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez in February as an amendment to the Broadcasting Act. The legislation is designed to give the CRTC dominion over online streaming companies in a similar way to which it regulates traditional broadcasters.
It is the federal government’s second attempt to push taxes and mandatory promotion of Canadian content onto online platforms. Its predecessor, Bill C-10, failed to pass prior to the last election, largely due to fears that it would regulate user-generated content on social media platforms.
Bill C-11 now faces the same concerns, not only from the government but corporations and the Canadian public as well. What’s more, Ottawa and the CRTC’s flip-flopping on whether the Commission will regulate user-generated content under Bill C-11 and what the scope of that regulation will be have added fuel to the fire.
While the bill’s language outlines exclusions for videos uploaded by one user for other users to watch, it also includes clauses that give the CRTC the power to make regulations relating to “programs” and determine what qualifies as commercial content under the proposed legislation.
Minister Rodriguez previously promised that the revised bill would exclude user-generated content. However, CRTC chairman Ian Scott last month admitted that the legislation would indeed give the broadcasting authority power over user-generated content on the internet.
Frenette also noted during the Tuesday hearing that the CRTC will not be able to impose any rules around standards of programming on user-generated content under Bill C-11.
Back in March, YouTube bashed the proposed legislation for its potential to oppose the platform’s algorithm-dependant discoverability system and ultimately hurt Canadian creators. Local content creators, the majority of whom get most of their video views from outside Canada, largely agree.
When asked whether YouTube is considered “broadcasting” and would be regulated under Bill C-11, Scott said it would depend on the content.
CRTC Chair Ian Scott Confirms It Yet Again: Bill C-11 Includes Regulatory Power On User Contenthttps://t.co/pIk06VDYIf pic.twitter.com/3ZyUuEoViB
— Michael Geist (@mgeist) June 1, 2022
“Depends what YouTube is doing. If they’re engaged in broadcasting, then we will be interested. If they’re engaged in other activities, no, then not,” he said.
Scott is set to be replaced in September as his five-year term as chair comes to an end.
Bill C-11 is currently making its way through parliament.
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That was never really in doubt, regardless of how Justin and his groupies tried to spin it.
Almost tempted to ask how far over the line into to tyranny Canadians would let Justin go…but the guy has proven he can literally do anything and the media will carry his water and Canadians, for the most part, gladly close their eyes and bend over.
– issue more top secret OIC orders, with 0 oversight, than the last 10 PMs combined? Check
– commit overt fraud? Check
– send in storm troopers against entirely and undeniably peaceful protestors? Check
– suspend the constitution? Check
– suspend/prorogue parliament to avoid/delay investigation into his own actions? Check
– get caught funnelling hundreds of millions to personal friends? Check
– help some dirty international criminals get off? Check
– physically assault a female MP? Check
– wear blackface to publicly mock Canadians so often he can’t remember how many times? Check
– meets with and accepts money from known illegal casino operator? Check
– against science and common sense, still effectively forbidding unvaccinated Canadians from leaving the country without his permission? Check
All with no consequences whatsoever. It’s like we’re living with little Castro.
Look at the stats and see how many Canadians have decided to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere…the exodus is massive.
The few of us naive enough to think there is a way to go back to the Canada we grew to love and always return to…there might be a dose of delirious optimism involved.
One more election… that’s all I have in the tank.
Queue the m0r0nic “don’t like it, leave” in 3…2…1
Even his buddy Morneau is recently raising red flags about Justin’s actions.
Morneau, who never met a social spending program he didn’t like is admitting that Justin’s focus is on wealth redistribution in Canada (his words), which is historically the best way to ruin an economy and bankrupt the population. He implies that Justin is basically not only fiddling while it burns, he’s throwing on gasoline to ensure there’s no chance for recovery.
That’s a liberal insider pulling the alarm over Trudeau’s malicious dismantling of Canadian norms, society and economy…and our media ignores it and the plebs ask for more.