Regulating digital platforms: Canada pushes for domestic technology with Bills C-11 and C-18
Canada's recent digital media regulations, specifically Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act) and Bill C-18 (Online News Act), are causing a stir in the global tech and media landscape. These bills aim to regulate digital platforms and promote domestic content but have sparked concerns about internet freedom, potential over-censorship, and constraints on democratic discourse.
Passed in 2022, Bill C-11 extends the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) authority to regulate digital media platforms as broadcasters. It imposes obligations such as Canadian content requirements on online audiovisual services like Netflix and YouTube. However, concerns have arisen about its broad scope potentially including user-generated content and platforms not originally targeted, risking overreach into everyday online expression.
Bill C-18, passed in June 2023, mandates that digital platforms like Google and Meta pay Canadian news outlets for content that generates revenue. This has led to major platforms blocking Canadian news content entirely, resulting in reduced news access and public concern about information availability, especially among younger Canadians. Critics argue that such outcomes threaten democratic values by limiting public discourse and access to diverse news sources.
Comparatively, the European Union's approach, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), emphasises transparency, user rights, and protections against illegal content while maintaining safeguards for freedom of expression. European online safety legislation, like the UK's Online Safety Act, requires stricter measures to protect minors online through concrete age verification mechanisms and content removal mandates, whereas Canada's C-63 bill related to online harms has been critiqued for vague provisions lacking robust enforcement measures.
The global implications and interconnected nature of the internet and digital platforms make lessons drawn from Canada's experiences relevant for the rest of the world. The Canadian government's approach to tech regulation, as demonstrated by Bills C-11 and C-18, is emerging in a polarised discourse environment. Notably, Canadian author Margaret Atwood and tech entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Joe Rogan have expressed criticism regarding the government's efforts in digital governance.
The Canadian Trucker Convoy of early 2022, which proliferated into similar protests across Europe, highlights the potential global impact of discourses and movements in one country. The ongoing debate about Canada's digital media regulations underscores ongoing challenges at the intersection of media regulation, democratic values, and digital rights globally.
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[1] "Bill C-11: the government's latest authoritarian power grab over the internet." (2022). Retrieved from us.boell.org/en/2022/03/21/bill-c-11-governments-latest-authoritarian-power-grab-over-internet [2] "Canada's Online Harms Act: A Step Toward European Regulation." (2023). Retrieved from us.boell.org/en/2023/06/27/canadas-online-harms-act-step-toward-european-regulation [3] "The Impact of Canada's Online News Act on Democratic Values." (2023). Retrieved from us.boell.org/en/2023/06/28/impact-canadas-online-news-act-democratic-values [4] "Balancing Act: Comparing Canada's Digital Media Regulations with Europe's." (2023). Retrieved from us.boell.org/en/2023/06/29/balancing-act-comparing-canadas-digital-media-regulations-europe's [5] "Canada's Digital Media Regulations: A Threat to Internet Freedom?" (2023). Retrieved from us.boell.org/en/2023/06/30/canada's-digital-media-regulations-threat-internet-freedom
- The ongoing debate about Canada's digital media regulations, notably Bills C-11 and C-18, has sparked concerns about internet freedom and potential over-censorship, linking technology and politics in a disconcerting manner.
- In the realm of general news, criticism from global figures like Margaret Atwood, Elon Musk, and Joe Rogan has surfaced, highlighting the polarized discourse surrounding Canada's approach to tech regulation and its implications on democratic values and digital rights.
