Canada Pursues Domestic Tech Empowerment - Examining Proposed Regulations for Digital Platforms C-11 and C-18
Canada's digital media landscape is abuzz with debates, as the country grapples with the implications of its new legislations - Bill C-11 and Bill C-18. These bills, aimed at modernising digital media governance, have sparked discussions centring on digital media governance, internet freedom, and democratic values, particularly when compared to Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA).
Bill C-18 (Online News Act), enacted in June 2023, mandates that digital platforms compensate Canadian news publishers for their content. This move is designed to address challenges related to media sustainability and Canadian cultural sovereignty. However, the law has caused platforms like Meta to block news content in Canada, leading publishers to seek alternative audience engagement methods. This raises concerns about accessible information flow and direct publisher-platform relationships, especially in terms of local news accessibility, especially in remote or crisis-affected areas.
Bill C-11, part of the modernization of Canada's broadcasting framework, expands regulation into online platforms to promote diverse Canadian content and inclusion. The bill, which was passed by the Canadian government in 2023, requires online streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify to provide users with Canadian content. Critics worry about regulatory overreach impacting platform neutrality and user freedoms.
By contrast, Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA) enforces transparency, accountability, and user rights across digital platforms in a broad, harmonized manner. The DSA imposes strict obligations on large platforms for content moderation, transparency in algorithms, and systemic risk management.
Comparing the two approaches, Canada's bills are more focused on cultural protectionism and media compensation (Bill C-18) and broadcasting modernization (Bill C-11), while the EU framework comprehensively covers platform governance and democratic protections. Critics argue Canada's acts risk compromising internet freedom through increased platform controls and potential censorship, with insufficient safeguards on government and ministerial powers.
One example of Canadian content promoted by Bill C-11 is the show Little Bird, which highlights the tragic forced displacement of indigenous children that occurred between the 1960s and 1980s.
The Canadian government's approach to technology, as demonstrated by Bills C-11 and C-18, is emerging in a polarised discourse environment. Critics like Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, online personalities, have criticised the bills as authoritarian free speech power grabs by the government. Canadian author Margaret Atwood has also been critical of the government's efforts in digital governance.
Canada has proposed the Online Harms Act, similar to Germany's NetzDG and the EU's Digital Services Act, to hold tech companies accountable for removing harmful content. The article was first published on us.boell.org and can be listened to in English or German.
[1] https://www.canada.ca/en/government/departments/departments-corporations/canadian-heritage/news/2023/06/bill-c-18-the-online-news-act-passes-first-reading-in-the-house-of-commons.html [2] https://www.canada.ca/en/government/departments/departments-corporations/canadian-heritage/news/2023/06/bill-c-11-the-broadcasting-act-passes-first-reading-in-the-house-of-commons.html [3] https://www.boell.org/en/2023/06/23/canadas-bill-c-11-and-c-18-threaten-internet-freedom [4] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bill-c-18-online-news-act-passes-first-reading-1.6745837 [5] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-bill-c-18-online-news-act-could-change-how-canadians-get-their-news/
- As Canada's Bill C-18 and Bill C-11 regulate digital platforms, a contentious debate arises at the intersection of technology, politics, and general news, with critics questioning the potential impact on internet freedom, free speech, and democratic values.
- In the realm of international comparisons, the European Digital Services Act (DSA) stands in stark contrast to Canada's Bill C-11 and C-18, as it emphasizes platform governance, transparency, and democratic protections, rather than cultural protectionism and media compensation.
