The release of the Twitter Files shows how deeply US government agencies, including the FBI and the director of National Intelligence, were involved in content moderation on the social media giant..The covert interference by the agencies kept the Hunter Biden laptop scandal out the mainstream medias’ headlines, and no doubt influenced the 2020 US presidential election..It also muted conservative voices at the highest level, including taking down the account of the president of the United States..The high-level intrusion shines a spotlight for Canadians on Justin Trudeau’s Bill C-11, also known as the online censorship bill by its detractors..The government wants Canadians to think the bill will make Canadian content more accessible and boost the online presence of Canadian artists..When he tabled Bill C-11, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriquez said it “will help make sure that our cultural sector works for Canadians and supports the next generation of artists and creators.”.The government wants you to believe the primary rationale he gave for crafting the legislation was to promote the interests of Canadian content creators..But content creators are saying the government is wrong, and the government doesn’t care, says Jay Goldberg of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation..“Bill C-11 has always been a bad bill. If passed, it would invade Canadians’ privacy and lessen our ability as citizens to hold the government to account by influencing what we can say and see online,” says Goldberg..“But even beyond those concerns, the government’s very rationale for introducing this legislation has been completely debunked.”.The bill caught the eye of billionaire Elon Musk, who replied to a tweet from True North’s Andrew Lawton..The legislation will replicate the domino theory..First, it will inhibit Canadian content creators’ ability to reach audiences around the world..On social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Netflix and others, the bill would force-feed Canadian content on viewers, even if those viewers have no interest in the content..Second, that will mean lower click rates, as viewers with no interest in the content choose to ignore it..Third, that sends signals to the platforms the content isn’t popular with viewers, leading the platforms’ algorithms to deprioritize Canadian content for viewers beyond our borders..Fourth, Canadian producers will lose the ability to monetize their content, or, fifth, move out of the country..Goldberg provides an example..“Regina-born TikTok sensation Tesher says had Bill C-11 been in place when he was first sharing his music, his career never would have taken off. That’s because Tesher gained popularity outside Canada’s borders first, and only became popular in Canada later,” says Goldberg..“If Tesher’s content had be deprioritized abroad before he was discovered by Hindi and Punjabi-speaking fans internationally, Tesher doesn’t think he would have found success.”.Tesher agrees..“C-11 would limit that reach by requiring creators to prioritize government criteria for domestic distribution over making content optimized for global audiences,” he says, supported by fellow Canadian YouTube star, J.J. McCullough..“Overnight, creators are going to wake up and find the kind of content that has previously been successful in an unregulated YouTube is no longer successful in a regulated YouTube,” said McCullough..Content might fare a little better in Canada, but it will be harmed all around the world..“Bill C-11 really puts the international audiences of creators at risk, because if France was to do something like this, or India was to do something like this, where they require prominence for their local artists, Canadians would be going to the back of the line,” said YouTube’s Janette Patell, speaking to the Senate’s transport and communications committee, emphasizing no other country in the world imposes these kinds of requirements..“For many Canadian YouTubers, 90% of their viewership comes from outside of Canada. Canadian YouTubers are therefore at risk of losing the vast majority of their audience.”.“Clearly, Bill C-11 will hurt small-time Canadian content creators far more than it will help,” says Goldberg, adding it also raises privacy concerns. .“Currently, YouTube and other platforms don’t track where viewers are from. But Bill C-11 would force platforms to track where viewers are from to decide what kind of content to push on viewers. That puts Canadians’ privacy on the line.”.“The last thing Canadians want is to be tracked by online platforms and big brother in Ottawa.”.“If Bill C-11 is all about helping Canadian content creators, recent testimony suggests the bill should be ripped up, as it does the exact opposite of what the government claims it wants to do," says Goldberg..“It’s time to finally scrap this dangerous piece of legislation.”
