A cabinet bill to regulate legal internet content is a “power grab over human communications,” a former CRTC commissioner testified last night at Senate committee hearings. Bill C-11 would classify YouTube videos as TV broadcasts subject to mandatory regulation..“It captures virtually all online audio and video,” Timothy Denton, a former CRTC commissioner and current chair of the Canadian chapter of the Internet Society, told the Senate transport and communications committee. Denton called the bill a “power grab over human communications across the internet and therefore deserves our distinct disdain.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, Bill C-11 An Act To Amend The Broadcasting Act would grant the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission new powers to regulate “commercial” internet video and music content. “Commercial” is not defined..“C-11 declares all audio and visual content on the internet to be broadcasts,” testified Denton. “It’s a kind of reverse takeover of the internet. The tiny Canadian broadcasting system can take on the world of the internet by the mere trick of redefining ‘broadcasting.’ C-11 is that bold and that absurd.”.“The internet establishes a worldwide market in programming, video, sound and everything else,” said Denton. “It exists. It is the main and real thing in the world today.”.“Essentially Bill C-11 is a scheme to try to make things that are utterly different and somehow give them the same regulatory treatment,” said Denton. “The internet does not really need regulatory treatment and the broadcasting system needs to adapt to the internet, not the internet to the Broadcasting Act.”.The Public Interest Advocacy Centre, a consumers’ group, said the bill should be amended to limit its scope to very large corporate internet streaming services. The current bill is so broad it could stray into controls on content, said John Lawford, executive director..“It will take a number of years at the CRTC but they may have regulations which get into things like what’s appropriate speech,” said Lawford. “They may get into things like how successful a station is or whether there is some sort of political bent that is not in favour at that particular time. It’s possible.”.Artists’ groups last night spoke in favour of the bill. Cabinet has said the legislation would compel corporations like YouTube and Netflix to buy and distribute Canadian content. “We urge this committee to strengthen Bill C-11 by maximizing the use of Canadian talent,” testified Eleanor Noble, national president of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)..“The fundamental goal of the Broadcasting Act is to guarantee Canadians have access to original Canadian entertainment programs, music, information and news,” said Noble. Internet program providers must “contribute significantly to the creation, production and presentation of Canadian programming,” she added.
