The federal government is asking Canada’s broadcasting regulator to exclude individual social media creators from regulation to implement the government’s new online streaming law.
The bill aims to force platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and TikTok to contribute and promote Canadian content.
It passed in April, but the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) must now develop rules to implement the bill’s intent.
The government’s guidance to the CRTC on those regulations today says the committee should prioritize parts of the bill related to redefining Canadian content, promoting Indigenous storytelling and achieving better representation of black and LGBTQ communities.
The directive also instructs the CRTC to ensure that the regulations do not apply to social media users whose business model is their own content, even if they use commercial songs in their videos.
A senior Canadian Heritage Department government official says the law only applies to commercial broadcasters that stream content online, with the main point being that they also broadcast that content — such as sports games or shows — on TV, radio or other streaming services. .
