The Canadian government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has established a registry for podcast providers in what appears to be the first step toward censorship.
The announcement came in the form of the Online Streaming Act, which is set to take effect on Nov. 28. Under the law, any online service that offers podcasts will soon have to register with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) – which is under the country's Department of Canadian Heritage. Any online streaming service that operates in Canada and generates revenue of more than $10 million in a given year must register with the CRTC.
According to a Sept. 29 press release by the commission, it is "setting out which online streaming services need to provide information about their activities in Canada" through a registration form. This form – which companies should accomplish by Nov. 28 – "collects basic information, is only required once and can be completed in just a few steps."
The press release also added that the CRTC "is setting conditions for online streaming services to operate in Canada." To this end, it mandates these podcast providers to "provide the CRTC with information related to their content and subscribership" and "make content available in a way that is not tied to a specific mobile or internet service." (Related: Canada passes controversial bill regulating online streaming and compelling local content.)
"We are developing a modern broadcasting framework that can adapt to changing circumstances. To do that, we need broad engagement and robust public records," said CRTC Chairwoman and CEO Vicky Eatrides. "We appreciate the significant participation during this first phase and look forward to hearing a diversity of perspectives at our contributions proceeding in November."
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The CRTC statement clarified, however, that only social media companies and online streaming platforms must register, not individual users. Online services that provide video game services or audiobooks are exempt from the registration requirement. A list of registered services will be published on the agency's website, the statement added.
Lilley: Online Streaming Act could shut down content producers
"The CRTC now wants to regulate podcasters," wrote Brian Lilley of the Toronto Sun on X (formerly Twitter). "Here is my simple message to them. Go to hell."
Lilley expounded on his opposition to the Online Streaming Act in an op-ed, warning that the new law could "shut down some content producers." He continued: "The players making more than $10 million per year are the platforms that content producers like me and millions of others rely on to get our message out to the public."
"Saying you won't regulate an individual podcaster, just the platforms they stream on, is like saying you won't regulate individual drivers, just the highways they drive on. The result is the same. Any rules imposed by the CRTC on the streaming services will in turn apply to the producers who use those services."
The co-founder of Rebel News also denounced the CRTC as an "aging relic" unable to understand " the changing dynamics of traditional broadcasting." He continued that the agency is "a body that doesn’t understand the online world and shouldn’t be in charge of regulating it in any way."
"The podcast registry the CRTC is now demanding as a result of the Online Streaming Act … is a horrible idea and it will lead to more horrible ideas, including the quite likely possibility of censorship down the road."
ZeroHedge's Tyler Durden also put in his two cents on why the Canadian government is creating a database of podcast providers. "One potential reason could be for the Liberal government to censor unapproved government narratives quickly," he wrote. "Having a registry of podcasters and the type of content they create makes it much easier for those in the government's censorship department."
"The government routinely engages in mass censorship campaigns and further wants to regulate what podcasters have to say. Remember, building a registry makes the job much easier for the government."
Watch Dean Ryan discussing Canada's so-called "Great Wall of Censorship" below.
This video is from the Real Deal Media channel on Brighteon.com.
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