Podcasts, Social Media, and Streaming Services Required to Register with Canadian Government
All forms of content broadcasting, including podcasts, social media platforms, streaming services, radio stations, and more will be required to register with the Canadian government by November.
New guidelines announced by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) require all broadcasters operating in Canada, making $10 million or more annually, to register as part of the modernization of Canada’s broadcasting framework.
“Today, the CRTC is advancing its regulatory plan to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework and ensure online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content,” the Commission said in its press release.
Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the CRTC, added, “We are developing a modern broadcasting framework that can adapt to changing circumstances. To do that, we need broad engagement and robust public records. We appreciate the significant participation during this first phase and look forward to hearing a diversity of perspectives at our contributions proceeding in November.”
Under the new regulation, all broadcasting services that meet the criteria must register with the CRTC by November 28, 2023. According to the National Post, “The decision is part of the CRTC’s implementation of the Online Streaming Act, which requires streamers like Netflix to contribute to the Canadian content system. As Bill C-11, it drew controversy over putting user-generated content under the CRTC’s regulatory authority.” The Canadian government later instructed the CRTC to refrain from regulating social media user content — though it still has the legal jurisdiction to do so.
One aspect of this online broadcasting reform required social media platforms operating in the country to pay news outlets for content posted to their platforms. After several months of online giants Meta and Google expressing their concerns with the Canadian government, both have ultimately been forced to remove content from Canadian news outlets rather than pay the so-called “link tax.”
“Nearly one year ago, we shared our concerns that the Online News Act would force us to consider whether to continue allowing the sharing of news content on our platforms,” Meta explained in the press release. “The legislation is based on the incorrect premise that Meta benefits unfairly from news content shared on our platforms, when the reverse is true. News outlets voluntarily share content on Facebook and Instagram to expand their audiences and help their bottom line.”
This “phase” of the Online Streaming Act has been broadly criticized for allowing the Canadian government to closely monitor and suppress information, ideas, conversation, and public opinion.
