麻豆影视

Politics

    • Online streaming Bill C-11: Everything you need to know

    Share

    The federal Liberal government has finally passed Bill C-11, after spending years trying to advance online streaming legislation.

    This clears the path for the contentious bill presented by Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez鈥 focused on substantively reforming the Broadcasting Act for the first time since 1991鈥 to come into effect.

    Bill C-11 is aimed at ensuring increasingly popular and profitable social media platforms and streaming services such as Netflix, Crave, Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and YouTube are subjected to Canadian content requirements and regulations comparable to traditional broadcasters. The policy change comes with a requirement for these platforms to spend millions investing in Canadian content and creators.

    While the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, as well as many in the "CanCon" music, film, and television industries, have backed Bill C-11, alarms have been sounded by critics that the Liberal proposal could have knock-on effects for content creators and what everyday users see online, due to provisions that would require platforms to promote Canadian content.

    In their efforts to lobby against this bill, some of the tech companies went to great lengths.

    For example, in the fall of 2022, YouTube ran a campaign about how the legislation could impact their livelihoods. 

    The Conservatives, arguing that the legislation will have the impact of censoring what Canadians see online, led the charge against Bill C-11 inside Parliament.

    Complicating the back and forth between those supportive of Bill C-11鈥攚ho call the concerns being raised disingenuous and doing the bidding of big tech鈥攁nd those who are against it, is that a lot is being left to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as the regulatory body to determine how it plans to implement it. 

    As all eyes turn to how the regulatory framework is set up, here's a comprehensive explainer outlining everything you need to know about how Bill C-11 got to this point, how the legislation has evolved over successive studies, and what may be ahead.

    WHAT IS BILL C-11 AKA THE 'ONLINE STREAMING ACT'?

    Bill C-11, is a 56-page piece of legislation that spells out a series of changes to the Broadcasting Act. It was tabled in the House of Commons on Feb. 2, 2022.

    The longstanding Broadcasting Act outlines traditional Canadian broadcasting policy, the regulatory role of the CRTC, and has implications for domestic cultural industries. Bill C-11 proposes the first substantive amendments to the Act, since 1991, to take into consideration digital media.

    Through the government's proposed changes, the Liberals are aiming to bring streaming giants under regulation by the CRTC, in a similar way to broadcasters on television and radio.

    Bill C-11 creates a new category of broadcast known as 鈥渙nline undertakings,鈥 spelling out in the Broadcasting Act certain requirements for platforms that publish programs online, including social media companies. The legislation would give the CRTC greater powers, including the ability to impose financial penalties for entities who violate parts of the Act.

    Through this legislation, the Liberals are also seeking to update the Canadian broadcasting system to take into consideration diversity in their programming, accessibility needs, and reflections of Indigenous culture.

    BILL C-11 IS FEDS' SECOND ATTEMPT

    If the proposals in this legislation sound familiar, that's because this isn't the first time the federal government has tried to pass them, nor is it the first time the proposal has become embroiled in controversy.

    During the last Parliament, the Liberals tried to pass these Broadcasting Act changes through in what at the time was known as Bill C-10. First tabled by Rodriguez's predecessor in November 2020 then-Canadian heritage minister Steven Guilbeault, the original version of this bill faced a similarly rocky road in Parliament.

    The bill may have first come on your radar in 2021, once it reached the House of Commons committee study stage, when concerns were raised that an attempted amendment to the legislation by the Liberals would result in lacking user-generated content protections.

    Without rehashing the whole contentious chapter, in short the Liberals tried to amend the bill to wipe out a section that upheld an exclusion within the Broadcasting Act for individual users of social media platforms.

    If this had come to fruition, the concern was that individual users could be viewed as broadcasters under the act, and the cat videos or other everyday content could come under regulation by the CRTC, even though it鈥檚 not been an area they鈥檝e ventured near to-date.

    This generated considerable backlash, set in motion a series of efforts from Guilbeault to clarify what the bill would, and wouldn鈥檛 do. Some of his remarks, including to CTV's Question Period, prompted more confusion and reuttered backtracking. 

    The Justice Department weighed in to say that the rights of social media users would be upheld, the Conservatives pushed to talk out the clock and reinstate user exemptions, and the House of Commons Speaker slapped down a Liberal-led attempt to rush through a host of changes to the bill. 

    Ultimately, the first version of this bill passed the House in June 2021, but given all of the controversy swirling around the legislation, the Senate refused to fast-track it with the few weeks they had left before the summer recess, citing a desire to do their own deep dive on their own timeline.

    Left in limbo as parliamentarians left Ottawa, the legislation then died on the order paper that summer when Trudeau called the 2021 federal election.

    When the Liberals moved to reintroduce the legislation after the 2021 campaign鈥攄uring which they pledged to revive the proposal within 100 days鈥 it was the eleventh bill to be tabled by the government, which is why it went from being called Bill C-10, to Bill C-11.

    HOW EXTENSIVE WAS PARLIAMENT'S STUDY ON BILL C-11?

    Bill C-11 received robust study and revisions in both chambers, after the legislation was revived last February.

    During the House of Commons Canadian Heritage Committee 鈥攄uring which MPs heard from 80 witnesses including experts, stakeholders and broadcast industry representatives鈥 the Liberals caused some acrimony when they sped through more than 100 amendments seeking to clarify the bill's aims, and then used procedural mechanisms to curtail the last leg of debate.

    Despite this drama, Bill C-11 then passed in the House in June with the support of both the Bloc Quebecois and the New Democrats.

    Then, the Senate started in on its methodical examination of the legislation. The bulk of this work was led by the Senate Transport and Communications Committee, which started scrutinizing the bill in broad strokes in June, and then in detail in October when the bill formally passed second reading in the Senate.

    The committee, chaired by Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos, stated early on, that its work given the complexity of the bill.

    Ahead of entering into what became a marathon clause-by-clause, the Senate committee heard from 138 witnesses, including music industry representatives, current and former CRTC executives, academics, content creators, and minister Rodriguez. In all, more than 67 hours were spent hearing from witnesses as part of this study, making history as the longest ever study conducted by a Senate committee.

    (漏Bloomua / Shutterstock.com)

    "Forcing or attempting to force YouTube, TikTok or other platforms to prioritize Canadian content may be well intentioned, but it is na茂ve鈥 Forcing people to view content because it鈥檚 Canadian does not encourage people to like that content. It is more likely, I feel, to breed negative perceptions of Canadian content from the user," testified digital creator Stewart Reynolds, perhaps better known online as

    "If they know a video is being shown to them primarily because it鈥檚 Canadian and not because it is what the user is searching for, it can make the video seem inferior regardless of whether it is or not. It鈥檚 like going to a restaurant with corn content or corncon rules. Even though you order the Alberta sirloin, you receive a bowl of corn. Good, perhaps, but not what you wanted," Reynolds

    Ultimately, the Senate passed 26 out of a proposed 73 amendments. These were the changes that were then sent to the House to reconsider. At the time, Housakos said that while he was confident that senators improved Bill C-11, "there remained many concerns."

    WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO BILL C-11?

    In its work, the Senate made a series of changes ranging from enhancing the promotion of diverse content to trying to clarify the CRTC's authority as it pertains to user-generated content to exclude social media users.

    Any time the Senate changes a government bill, the revisions have to be sent back to the House of Commons to consider. This happened in February, and in early March, Rodriguez issued his response.

    In a motion, the minister said the Liberals would be accepting the majority of legislative adjustments, while turning down the more consequential changes and suggesting further tweaks to others.

    Among the changes rejected were the attempt from senators to impose age-verification methods on certain content, and an effort to instill further protections for user-generated content.

    As for what changes the House was willing to accept, the Liberals backed efforts from the Senate to ensure platforms are mindful of promoting and reflecting diversity, including Indigenous languages, and enhancing privacy protections.

    After days of at times heated debate, and a failed effort by the Conservatives to "kill Bill C-11" by moving to see the legislation withdrawn entirely, the NDP and Bloc Quebecois sided with the Liberals to pass the motion accepting certain Senate changes.

    The government's message indicating as much was sent to the Senate on March 30.

    Stakeholder reaction to what amendments held was mixed, with groups including internet advocacy organization OpenMedia campaigning for the Senate to reject the House's decision and insist on stronger protections to ensure user content is safe from regulations.

    "Without this amendment, we鈥檙e relying on the good behaviour of the CRTC and the minister of Canadian heritage to leave our content alone 鈥 today, and under every future minister and commissioner," said OpenMedia campaigns director Matt Hatfield in a statement. "Even a good policy direction from minister Rodriguez that puts on a few guardrails will not fix that; it just pushes the risk down the road."

    On April 17, Government Representative in the Senate, Sen. Marc Gold, presented a motion that would see the Senate accept the version of Bill C-11 that the House of Commons signed off on. 

    From there, the upper chamber quickly became mired in a largely procedural battle over the propriety of debate time being cut off and whether to assert itself and insist its amendments.

    Speaking to the bill during what became several days of deliberation, member of the Progressive Senate Group Sen. Andrew Cardozo called the process surrounding Bill C-11 "a textbook case of how our bicameral system works," while suggesting that the way this legislation has been handled may be a forbearer for future policymaking.

    "It is also a textbook case because of the high political drama it has encountered, replete with many delay tactics and fundraising off the process," said Cardozo. "But it is still an interesting case where we have seen a massive online campaign over the last few months. This is either an exception to the norm of constructive policy-making or, in fact, the 'new normal' that will eliminate constructive policy-making in favour of divisive, partisan and extra-parliamentary campaigns."

    A key sticking point that was raised in the numerous hours of debate held ahead of the bill finally clearing the upper chamber, was the Senate's attempt to instill further protections for user-generated content in Bill C-11.

    Had the Senate insisted on its amendments, the legislation would have ping-ponged back to MPs for another round of consideration, or a joint conference between the House and Senate could have been called, allowing both chambers to try to hash out a compromise.

    Instead, after moving through a series of votes and a few late nights, on April 27, the Senate passed a message informing the House that it would not be insisting on any further changes, while acknowledging the Liberals' "public assurance" is that Bill C-11 "will not apply to user-generated digital content."

    WHAT COMES NEXT?

    Now that Bill C-11 has passed, regulatory work can begin.

    The next step will be for the CRTC to get to work on consultations and drafting the policy framework for how the broadcasting and communications regulator will utilize the new powers Bill C-11 grants.

    This process is expected to include public consultations, and will take place in the shadow of warnings from the Americans that trade action could be ahead if how Bill C-11 is implemented adversely affects cross-border suppliers of online content.

    It's expected that this will be where stakeholders with outstanding concerns about the bill turn next, though it remains to be seen what the timeline will be for the coming changes to come into effect.

    Already, the Conservatives have vowed to repeal Bill C-11 should the party win the next federal election. 

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Canada

    • The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    • Nova Scotia's New Democratic Party says a candidate criticized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for "troubling" and "damaging" social media posts is no longer running for the party in the Nov. 26 general election.

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    • Researchers say taking a peek inside a person's brain is as difficult as understanding the universe or discovering the ocean in its entirety.

    • B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Bitcoin hits US$80K. Why Trump is boosting crypto

      Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above US$80,000. The world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.

    • Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia's ports since Monday.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Weather watchers were treated to an exceptionally rare display on Friday evening as rare cloud formations filled Vancouver skies.

    • For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas - saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets - were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.

    • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    • A man is wanted after allegedly presenting himself as a rideshare driver then sexually assaulting a woman from Brampton late last week, say police.

    • Patrons were inside a movie theatre when a suspect fired bullets at the business鈥 doors on Saturday night, before the cinema was shot at again hours later in a second incident, police say.

    • A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.

    • Two semis were among the vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle crash that brought westbound traffic along Stoney Trail Northwest to a standstill on Sunday.

    • More than 700 people danced, ate, and sang to celebrate Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      An Ottawa boy with a rare disease will be getting the chance to see Taylor Swift in concert after the winner and organizers of an auction held on his behalf gifted the tickets to him.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    • Despite some opposition, a motion was passed at the party鈥檚 convention in Levis, Que. over the weekend to create a Quebec constitution.

    • The West Island Mission hosted its second food drive Sunday amid increasing demand.

    • Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

    • Boasting 2,300 square metres of skating space at its new location, Edmonton's Rollers Roller Rink believes it is the largest in Canada.

    • A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.

    • Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 opened and closed across the Maritimes on Remembrance Day.

    • As Nova Scotia politicians make their fall election promises, Julie Leggett is urging them to commit to helping people on income assistance stay cool during heat waves.

    • A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers whipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-22 in Saturday's CFL West Division final to earn their fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Twilight Tech Arcade, an entertainment location specializing in retro gaming, is closing its doors for the foreseeable future.

    • A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.

    • The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.

    • Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is livestreaming the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Sudbury Community Arena starting Monday at 10:30 a.m.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • A group of former NHL players faced off against York Regional Police officers in Newmarket Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Special Olympics programs across the province.

    • A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.

    • The agreed statement of facts was read to the court on Friday in the case of Alex Williams, the 24-year-old jail guard charged last fall with smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.

    • For Gene Lotz, the spark of curiosity to delve into the history of those who served in war only began when the answers became difficult to find.

    • Three players returned Sunday to help the Windsor Spitfires to a 4-1 win over the visiting Peterborough Petes.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    • Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视