One reason for this article is to document what is happening. There is a long-term agenda being pushed through, and that doesn’t mean it’s going to succeed and be final. People need to be aware of it and they need to reject it even if it takes us years to turn things around.

Another is to share an opportunity to express our views, and I always think that’s a good idea, especially when our situation is so grim–even if or when this legislation is passed. I believe that speaking out gives us a sense of empowerment.

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The legislation and its status can be found at these links:
https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-11
C-11: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts

Text of the bill: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-11/third-reading

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As of today, June 29, Bill C-11 is at Second Reading in the Senate.

You can express your views using this article by OpenMedia:
Last chance to fix Bill C-11

Bill C-11 just passed the final vote at the House of Commons – and STILL gives the CRTC unprecedented power to regulate YOUR videos, podcasts, Spotify feeds, Netflix queue, and more.

Any online legislation must respect your freedom of expression and your choice to freely watch the content you want. Bill C-11 does neither.

But there’s still time to fix C-11 – Canada’s Senate is now considering amendments to the bill. They’re our last chance at making sure Bill C-11 gets the full examination and fixes it deserves.

If enough of us speak out, Senators will take action to protect YOUR rights. Email the Senate right now to demand they fix Bill C-11!

The House of Commons was asked to fix Bill C-11’s flaws – and they’ve fixed NOTHING. As passed, the Bill still gives the CRTC the power to bury the content that we actually want to watch and push content the CRTC thinks we should be watching. . . .

Even more alarming, it STILL gives the CRTC the power to regulate ALL our audiovisual posts as if it were primetime broadcasting content. . . .

In a senseless rush to get this sensitive bill passed, our government has again trampled democratic norms, refusing to give the House time to properly consider, debate, and discuss Bill C-11. . . .

Fill out the information in the above article to send your message.

The default message you can edit is:

As a concerned person in Canada, I am writing to ask you to support amendments to Bill C-11: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act. The Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications must stand up for Canadians and appropriately limit the scope of this overreaching bill.

Bill C-11 continues to give the CRTC inappropriately broad regulatory authority over all our user posts. Section 4.2(2) is defined so broadly that it will include almost all user audiovisual content on the internet as ‘broadcasting’ content, giving the CRTC regulatory authority over all our podcasts, videos, TikToks, and much more. Ordinary Internet users must have more substantive protections to prevent their content from being regulated through this plainly unfit framework.

Alongside risking regulation of our freedom of expression, Bill C-11 grants the CRTC the inappropriate power to interfere with our online choices. Under the discoverability provisions of C-11, platforms may be required to edit all our feeds, searches and playlists to prioritize mandatory content the CRTC judges “Canadian”, using the long-outdated “CanCon” points system. This fails to respect our right to choose the online content we want; any promotion of Canadian content should be voluntary and opt-in, not forced onto all our Internet activities.

I am deeply troubled by the inadequate examination Bill C-11 was given at the House of Commons. To expedite passing Bill C-11 through the House, no meaningful debate, public discourse, and no thorough examination was given to the over 150 proposed amendments. This is a mockery of our democratic process.

You and your colleagues in the Senate can act to fix this. Canadian Senators recognized the core issues I’m raising during consideration of last year’s Bill C-10, and should act to fix them in Bill C-11. Now is your chance to act for ordinary Canadians and give Bill C-11 the complete examination and fixes it deserves.

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Here is another link you can use to contact the Senate: https://www.votervoice.net/LifesiteNewsCA/Campaigns/95916/Respond

Attempts to silence and suppress opposition by the ruling political class here in Canada (and across the world) seems to have reached new heights in recent years, and the last thing our country needs is yet another threat to and attack on citizens’ basic rights to freedom of speech and expression – on the internet, or anywhere else.

That’s why I’m asking you to strongly oppose Bill C-11 when it comes before you for a vote.

This dangerous piece of legislation would open internet users to intrusive new government regulations that seem poised to directly target the free speech rights of Canadians, with the potential for silencing anyone deemed “harmful.”

Our country – and our people – need you to be a voice for freedom of speech, now more than ever, and you can start by acting in your capacity as a lawmaker to stop this misguided legislation from ever becoming law here in Canada.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Also: See report by Canadian Taxpayers Federation: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Final%20C-11%20Report.pdf “Bill C-11: A Fatally Flawed Gateway to Government Censorship” by Jay Goldberg | June 2022

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