OTTAWA The Department of Justice has concluded that recent amendments to Bill C-10 would not restrict the freedom of expression of social media users under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It comes as the Liberals face scrutiny for removing and refusing to reinstate an exemption from the bill that protected individuals’ online content from its proposed Broadcasting Act, prompting the free speech concerns. Through Bill C-10, the government is seeking to make changes aimed at ensuring major social media platforms and streaming services such as Netflix, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Spotify pay their fair share towards Canadian artists and are held to similar standards as regular broadcasters.
The federal government s planned private sector privacy law reforms, promised to give Canadians more control over how companies handle their personal information online, need to be amended or privacy protections will take a step back, according to Federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien.
The Liberals’ “censorship” act, Bill C-10 is quickly unravelling
In a Sunday (May 9) interview with Evan Solomon of CTV, the Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault repeatedly said that Bill C-10 would allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate individuals’ social media posts.
Yet, within 24 hours there was a change of tune.
Now the minister is saying the legislation didn’t do what he clearly said it did the day before.
If the minister in charge of the file can’t understand his own legislation there is a serious problem.
We’ve seen time and again the Liberals push through legislation saying one thing and meaning another. This is just the latest example.
While the government continues to insist that individuals online audio or video content won t be subject to federal regulations under Bill C-10, the Canadian Radio-television and telecommunications Commission (CRTC) could impose regulations related to discoverability of online content on accounts that have a large enough following or are making enough money off of it, according to Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault.