Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez rises during a period of questions in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 16th. Justin Tang / The Canadian Press
YouTube says it is “disappointed” that its concerns about the possible regulation of user-generated content have not been addressed in recent changes to the liberal government’s controversial online streaming bill.
A committee report detailing dozens of amendments to the Online Streaming Act, known as Bill C-11, was released Wednesday after the House of Commons Heritage Committee made the changes. The legislation aims to place streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Spotify under some of the rules that apply to traditional broadcasters, including a requirement to contribute to the creation of Canadian content.
Many of the amendments appear to be aimed at ensuring that the legislation supports racist communities and Canadians of different ethnocultural backgrounds. There are also links to providing support for official languages and people with disabilities.
However, YouTube’s concerns are related to what is left out of the bill. The company said it agreed that some content, such as official music videos, should be regulated, but user-generated content – uploaded by individual creators or influencers – should be excluded from the law. He called on the government to include a specific language for this purpose.
“We are disappointed that the concerns of thousands of Canadian creators have not been recognized through amendments that would reflect the minister’s intention to cover the C-11 bill,” Janet Patel, head of government and public policy at YouTube Canada, said in a statement Thursday.
“It is possible to support Canadian artists without compromising the creators’ ecosystem. We will continue to propose solutions and look forward to working closely with the Senate for this common goal.
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Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has repeatedly said the bill will not regulate consumer-generated content, but the chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) recently told the committee that the bill would actually give the body powers to regulate such content. material. However, CRTC chairman Ian Scott said the commission would never use power because it has no interest in regulating content produced by individuals.
Spotify said there were also concerns about the changes. One amendment proposed by the company focuses on how Canadian content will be identified and recommended to consumers, but the proposed change was not accepted by the committee.
“We hope that the bill will be considered carefully, given our concerns, and we look forward to discussing this in the Senate,” said Regan Smith, Spotify’s chief policy officer.
Streaming services have also called for changes to existing Canadian content rules. For example, Netflix said that titles produced or funded solely by the company will not meet the rules, even if Canadians play most or all creative roles. Netflix did not comment on the commission’s amendments on Thursday.
Industry groups and Canadian artists believe the bill is urgently needed. Warren P. Sonoda, president of the Canadian Guild of Directors, said the committee was facing a “difficult task” in trying to balance the views of a wide range of stakeholders, but noted that members remained focused on the “core consensus”. which all players in the broadcast system, including foreign streamers, must invest in Canadian programs.
“It is now up to the Senate and the CRTC to protect the public interest and ensure that Canadians continue to have access to Canadian stories made by Canadians,” Mr Sonoda said in a statement Thursday.
Reynolds Mastin, president and CEO of the Canadian Media Producers Association, said that while his organization was still reviewing the changes, it was encouraged to see among the changes the recognition that independent producers have the right to control and benefit fairly. the programs they develop and produce.
The House of Commons Heritage Committee met in the early hours of Wednesday morning, voting on dozens of amendments to the C-11. The marathon meeting came days after a majority of members of parliament approved a proposal to end the debate in the bill committee.
Conservatives said the government’s “undemocratic and irresponsible” swift follow-up of the bill means that “vital” amendments have not been properly considered in committee. Mr Rodriguez said the government should intervene as conservative lawmakers who oppose the bill spent days filibbing up on hearings to prevent legislation from moving forward.
Mr Rodriguez said he would like the bill to be passed as soon as possible, but would not pressure the Senate to pass it shortly before the summer break, which is scheduled to begin on June 23. The Senate is conducting a preliminary inquiry as it expects the House to formally send the bill to the Red House.
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