C-11 The Online Streaming Act

Bill C-11, also called ‘The Online Streaming Act,’ amends Canada’s Broadcasting Act. This broadcasting act from 1991 provides the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) with its mandate, including the power to regulate the Canadian broadcasting system (cable, tv, radio, etc.). It is also intended to “support Canada’s creators, artists, and creative industries, and ensures that Canadian music and stories are available and accessible.” The details of the Broadcasting Act are challenging, and while this is not ARPA’s area of expertise, there are some concerns about the scope of Bill C-11 that need to be addressed.

Bill C-11 and the continued advance against free expression

Bill C-11 will apply to things like ARPA’s weekly Quick Updates videos or other podcasts, and your church SermonAudio account. It adds language like ‘gender expression’ as part of what will be promoted and regulated within programming. Critics on all sides are speaking out against this bill, yet the government continues to plunge ahead, ignoring calls to go back to the drawing board.

It is time to tell federal MPs to oppose Bill C-11.

You might remember the pink envelope campaign from We Need a Law, when thousands of pink envelopes were sent to Members of Parliament from all across the country asking them to see the children lost to sex-selective abortion. The campaign was powerful because the bright colour stuck out in the stacks of mail that MPs receive and the envelope with its brief, handwritten note brought a clear, simple message. Our goal with this C-11 campaign is to replicate that impact.

We’re asking you to send an envelope to 10 MPs today.

You can use any colour envelope you would like, or fold a coloured paper into a homemade envelope. Include a handwritten note asking the Member of Parliament to oppose Bill C-11, and calling the federal government to listen to the criticisms that they are receiving about this legislation.

In order to ensure that all Members of Parliament hear this message, send us an email at [email protected] to let us know that you’re in, and we will send you a list of 10 MPs and their mailing addresses that you can send your cards to.

For more information, we encourage you to read this article here, where we express our concerns with the bill in detail. If you’re not sure what to write, we have prepared snippets on our action page that you can include in your letter to each Member of Parliament.

What do I write?

Here are some snippets you can include:

I am writing to you regarding Bill C-11 The Online Streaming Act.

The internet is not a broadcasting platform like radio or television. It is a place where Canadians interact, communicate and share ideas.

Bill C-11 will also change the relationship that social media companies have with their users.

Bill C-11 tilts strongly in favour of more traditional media interests and against more innovative, online-only types of media organizations.

It is worth noting that the large traditional producers and broadcasters are all in favour of this legislation, and actively promoting it.

The inclusion of language like ‘gender expression’ in the bill raises questions about how far the government will be willing to go in regulating faith-based content creators or others it disagrees with.

Please oppose Bill C-11.

Thank you for considering my concerns. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Bill C-11 seeks to give the government power over the internet.

The internet is not broadcasting. Individuals do not broadcast their personal information but rather narrowcast it to their own close audiences that know them, or are looking for that kind of content.

The government will be able to require social media companies to promote certain types of content, and in doing so they are automatically also suppressing and reducing exposure to other forms of content.

Bill C-11 does not exempt religious charities or faith-based organizations. It allows the government the power to shape the language of online content, and gives it the power to remove or suppress content it opposes or disagrees with.

This bill is complicated and will lead to more problems than it solves. Please vote against Bill C-11.

With Bill C-11 the CRTC is given almost unhindered regulation of the online world.

What the government doesn’t seem to understand is that the tools of prohibition, regulation, and restriction are negative tools, not positive ones, and will almost certainly increase restrictions on freedom of expression.

Bill C-11 does nothing to protect the individual online content creator. There may be exceptions but there are also exceptions to the exception regarding revenue. Could this capture fundraisers, or donation campaigns? The bill is vague and this will lead to confusion and misapplication.

Giving the CRTC the power to promote and regulate content in this way provides the potential for suppressing organizations that defend the pre-born, or share positions on sexuality, gender, and family that differ from the government.