8 Things Creators Need to Know About Canada’s Online Streaming Bill, Bill C-11

• damiadeniyi
• May 2, 2023
• News
• algorithms, Bill C-11, Canada, Canadian cultural content, Canadian programming, censorship, content creators, CRTC, local artists, online streaming, promotion, public consultations, regulations, TikTok, YouTube
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Bill C-11 is a new law recently passed by the Canadian government that mandates the promotion of Canadian cultural content by tech behemoths like YouTube and TikTok. What does this law entail for creators, given the debate around it and worries about censorship? Here are eight things about Canada’s online streaming legislation that creators should be aware of:

1. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will regulate streaming services like YouTube and TikTok, much like how it regulates radio and television. This means that the enforcement of the new law will be largely under the control of the CRTC.
2. Streamers are required to “clearly promote and recommend Canadian programming, in both official languages as well as in Indigenous languages.” This means that content producers might need to change their creations.
3. YouTubers from Canada might have to establish their Canadianness in order to be discovered. The necessity in the law to promote Canadian material may result in a system where Canadian content providers have to demonstrate their nationality in order to gain publicity.
4. The CRTC will conduct public discussions to determine the regulations that will govern how the law will be put into practice.
5. Tech companies, including YouTube and TikTok, have lobbied the government hard against the proposed regulation. This implies that these platforms might object to the implementation of the legislation.
6. Concerns about censorship have been raised by the law, and some people have claimed that censorship is now legal. Supporters counter that it’s important to support local artists and promote Canadian cultural content.
7. It is difficult to promote Canadian material on streaming platforms since algorithms evaluate user interests to determine suggestions. To make their material more accessible to Canadian viewers, creators may need to come up with new strategies.
8. The new regulation gives Canadian content producers a chance to promote their work and perhaps attract new viewers. Creators can capitalize on the rising interest in Canadian culture and present their own viewpoints by supporting Canadian programming.

In Canada’s online streaming landscape, Bill C-11 represents a significant development. While it has generated debate and raised questions about censorship, it also offers Canadian content creators new chances to market their work and connect with new audiences. Creators can continue to develop and prosper in Canada’s online streaming community by keeping up with the law’s implementation and changing their work to conform with the new rules.