Tuesday, April 25, 2023

CANADA
Controversial online streaming bill on the verge of passing in Senate

Story by Anja Karadeglija • 

Bill C-11 is back in the Senate chamber Tuesday, and with a motion to cut off debate set to be introduced, the contentious streaming legislation could soon receive Senate approval.


The online streaming bill sets up the CRTC to regulate streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube, and requires them to participate in the Canadian content system the way traditional radio and TV broadcasters and cable providers have.© Provided by National Post

That will be the last step before receiving royal assent and becoming law, two-and-a-half years after the Liberals introduced the first version of the legislation.

The online streaming bill sets up the CRTC to regulate streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube, and requires them to participate in the Canadian content system the way traditional radio and TV broadcasters and cable providers have. The bill has drawn controversy over concerns the CRTC would have too much power over user content, specifically involving recommendations — movies, TV shows, videos and music platforms suggest to their users.

Critics 'stunned and furious' at Liberals rejecting Senate amendment from controversial online streaming bill

The Senate will resume sitting at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The Red Chamber had previously passed an amendment that would have exempted social media from the bill, which was then rejected by the Liberal government.

Both the House of Commons and the Senate have to pass identical versions of a bill for it to become law.

When the bill went back to the Senate, Marc Gold, the representative of the government in the Senate, introduced a motion stating that is the government’s “stated intent that Bill C-11 will not apply to user-generated digital content.” Senators then changed “stated intent” to “public assurance.”

At the end of Thursday’s sitting, Gold gave notice of a motion that will be introduced Tuesday to cut off debate after another six hours.

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