minute read
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite his attempts to convince Canadians otherwise, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said on Tuesday that Bill C-11, the Trudeau Liberals' much-criticized internet censorship bill, would, in fact, provide the government the ability to tweak the algorithms of social media providers.
Rodriguez had said for months that the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would not be able to have a direct effect on search algorithms to change content on sites like Facebook and Twitter.
According to True North Centre, Rodriguez made the admission in response to a question by Conservative Senator Michael MacDonald.
"A section of the bill states that the commissioner shall not make an order that would require the use of a specific computer algorithm or a source code. However, the CRTC commissioner has told our committee quite clearly that this would be accomplished indirectly," said MacDonald.
“We’ve been told by many witnesses that if this is done or indirectly required it will have a negative impact on many Canadian creators so in light of that why wouldn’t you support an amendment on this when it comes to discoverability?”
Rodriguez responded, "The CRTC can’t mandate user-specific algorithms. What we want is outcomes."
"It’s up to the platform to decide how they do that. They may decide they’ll touch their algorithms but that would be their own decision. They could have playlists, they could have filters."
As explained by John Carpay of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms for The Post Millennial, the stated purpose of the Online Streaming App (OSA) is to bring influential streaming services like Netflix, Disney, and Spotify under the authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
"But under the OSA, the CRTC's new authority will not be limited to these large entertainment giants. Rather, the OSA will empower the CRTC to assume jurisdiction via regulation over any 'program' (audio or audiovisual online content) that is 'monetizable' because it 'directly or indirectly generates revenues.'"
In short, Trudeau's new bill would give the CRTC new, sweeping powers that would enable them to regulate any online streaming service they wanted, including that of private citizens.
The bill is among the most controversial that the Trudeau government has put forward and has received criticism from creators, academics, and politicians alike.
Rodriguez had said for months that the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would not be able to have a direct effect on search algorithms to change content on sites like Facebook and Twitter.
According to True North Centre, Rodriguez made the admission in response to a question by Conservative Senator Michael MacDonald.
"A section of the bill states that the commissioner shall not make an order that would require the use of a specific computer algorithm or a source code. However, the CRTC commissioner has told our committee quite clearly that this would be accomplished indirectly," said MacDonald.
“We’ve been told by many witnesses that if this is done or indirectly required it will have a negative impact on many Canadian creators so in light of that why wouldn’t you support an amendment on this when it comes to discoverability?”
Rodriguez responded, "The CRTC can’t mandate user-specific algorithms. What we want is outcomes."
"It’s up to the platform to decide how they do that. They may decide they’ll touch their algorithms but that would be their own decision. They could have playlists, they could have filters."
As explained by John Carpay of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms for The Post Millennial, the stated purpose of the Online Streaming App (OSA) is to bring influential streaming services like Netflix, Disney, and Spotify under the authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
"But under the OSA, the CRTC's new authority will not be limited to these large entertainment giants. Rather, the OSA will empower the CRTC to assume jurisdiction via regulation over any 'program' (audio or audiovisual online content) that is 'monetizable' because it 'directly or indirectly generates revenues.'"
In short, Trudeau's new bill would give the CRTC new, sweeping powers that would enable them to regulate any online streaming service they wanted, including that of private citizens.
The bill is among the most controversial that the Trudeau government has put forward and has received criticism from creators, academics, and politicians alike.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment
Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
Comments