https://sputnikglobe.com/20231004/canadian-tv-regulator-seeks-to-censor-independent-webcasters-1113913646.html
Canadian TV Regulator Seeks to Censor Independent Webcasters
Canadian TV Regulator Seeks to Censor Independent Webcasters
Sputnik International
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government cracked down ruthlessly on protesting truckers in 2021. Aidan Jonah and Mocha Bezirgan warned that the state was now coming after podcasters.
2023-10-04T14:08+0000
2023-10-04T14:08+0000
2023-10-04T14:08+0000
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Canada's broadcasting watchdog seeks to censor internet video content critical of the state, two independent journalists warn.The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced on Friday that online providers of audio-visual content based in the country will be forced to register with the regulator by November 28 if their annual broadcasting revenues exceed CA$10 million (US$7.3 million).While the CRTC has denied its new powers under the Online Streaming Act — parliamentary bill C-11 — would not affect "content and digital creators" such as social media "influencers", the income threshold could snare many independent video journalists with a large following who have successfully monetized their output on platforms like YouTube — and its independent rival Rumble.Canada Files website editor Aidan Jonah told Sputnik the move was "ridiculous"."In its whole, I think that bill is a terrible idea," Jonah said. "here's been a lot of anger. Rebel Media's Ezra Levant has very publicly come out against this bill."The commentator said the Canadian government's ultimate goal with the Online Streaming Act was to "take absolute control back over media."The editor pondered the reasons for the "brouhaha" around Rumble. The Canadian-based video upload site hosts several well-known media figures banned from Google's established YouTube for questioning Western governments' response to the COVID-19 pandemic or its proxy conflict with Russia in Ukraine.Rumble was forced to cut off services to France after it refused a demand from president Emmanuel Macron's government to block the accounts of RT and Sputnik. Now it is under attack in the UK too.Journalist Mocha Bezirgan told Sputnik that there was already "a culture of censorship, there's a culture of cancelling" in Canada, with his "politically-incorrect" comedian friend Ben Bankas finding it increasingly hard to book gigs thanks to "organized mobs" threatening venues.The commentator recalled that in his native Turkiye, he got millions of views for videos he posted to YouTube — which soon landed him in legal trouble. "I had to go to the police station twice to explain to the police that, no, I am not insulting the president or insulting religious beliefs."He warned against Ottawa following Ankara's lead, which saw several social media users' profiles blocked in Turkiye before elections."The government forced YouTube, Twitter and many other social companies to appoint representatives to the country, and during the election it demanded certain accounts to be censored," Bezirgan said. "And Twitter complied. Twitter censored many accounts a day before the elections. And Elon Musk came out and said in Turkiye, the account would be suspended, their tweets wouldn't be visible in Turkey. And that was an outrage."He recalled how during the Canadian truckers' protests in the capital, the government used powers under the Emergencies Act to freeze the bank accounts of peaceful demonstrators — and how very few citizens objected to that abuse of authority.The journalist pointed out that the CRTC had already begun "hearing public complaints, hundreds of them, if they should ban Fox News from Canada, for example. So that's worrying."For more cutting-edge commentary on current affairs, tune in to our Sputnik Radio shows.
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canada, canadian radio-television and telecommunications commission (crtc)
canada, canadian radio-television and telecommunications commission (crtc)
Canadian TV Regulator Seeks to Censor Independent Webcasters
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government cracked down ruthlessly on protesting truckers in 2021. Aidan Jonah, editor of The Canada Files, and independent journalist Mocha Bezirgan warned that the state was now coming after podcasters.
Canada's broadcasting watchdog seeks to censor internet video content critical of the state, two independent journalists warn.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
announced on Friday that online providers of audio-visual content based in the country will be forced to register with the regulator by November 28 if their annual broadcasting revenues exceed CA$10 million (US$7.3 million).
While the CRTC has denied its new powers under the Online Streaming Act — parliamentary bill C-11 — would not affect "content and digital creators" such as social media "influencers", the income threshold could snare many independent video journalists with a large following who have successfully monetized their output on platforms like YouTube — and its independent rival Rumble.
Canada Files website editor
Aidan Jonah told
Sputnik the move was "ridiculous".
"In its whole, I think that bill is a terrible idea," Jonah said. "here's been a lot of anger. Rebel Media's Ezra Levant has very publicly come out against this bill."
The commentator said the Canadian government's ultimate goal with the Online Streaming Act was to "take absolute control back over media."
"The CRTC is outright an apparatus of the Canadian state. Whatever talk about independence it's had, I've already demonstrated myself it's that it's a farce, it's not an independent thing," Jonah stressed. "Pax Canadiana, our oppression and censorship, is just the most banal stuff, but it's still oppression and censorship."
The editor pondered the reasons for the "brouhaha" around Rumble. The Canadian-based video upload site hosts several well-known media figures banned from Google's established YouTube for questioning Western governments' response to the COVID-19 pandemic or its proxy conflict with Russia in Ukraine.
Rumble was forced to cut off services to France after it refused a demand from president Emmanuel Macron's government to block the accounts of RT and Sputnik. Now it is
under attack in the UK too.
"It's fascinating because, of course, it was founded in Canada. It has Toronto offices. It's actually come under pressure around the Russell Brand case," Jonah noted. "He's being said to be guilty before he's even had a chance to prove his innocence."
3 October 2023, 13:18 GMT
Journalist
Mocha Bezirgan told
Sputnik that there was already "a culture of censorship, there's a culture of cancelling" in Canada, with his "politically-incorrect" comedian friend Ben Bankas finding it increasingly hard to book gigs thanks to "organized mobs" threatening venues.
"Now we're seeing this bill called Bill C-11 trying to regulate what can be put out online," Bezirgan said. "Yes, the scope of the regulations claims to be regulating streaming services, social media companies that make more than $10 million annually. However, we are afraid that this is going to be extended more to encompass more streamers that make less than $10 million."
The commentator recalled that in his native Turkiye, he got millions of views for videos he posted to YouTube — which soon landed him in legal trouble. "I had to go to the police station twice to explain to the police that, no, I am not insulting the president or insulting religious beliefs."
He warned against Ottawa following Ankara's lead, which saw several social media users' profiles blocked in Turkiye before elections.
"The government forced YouTube, Twitter and many other social companies to appoint representatives to the country, and during the election it demanded certain accounts to be censored," Bezirgan said. "And Twitter complied. Twitter censored many accounts a day before the elections. And Elon Musk came out and said in Turkiye, the account would be suspended, their tweets wouldn't be visible in Turkey. And that was an outrage."
He recalled how during the Canadian truckers' protests in the capital, the government used powers under the Emergencies Act to freeze the bank accounts of peaceful demonstrators — and how very few citizens objected to that abuse of authority.
"I guess we'll see how this bill is going to work in the upcoming election, because we know social media companies are not going to be our safe havens standing up for free speech or whatever, including Twitter," Bezirgan said. "It's clear that there are no safe havens. Free speech is at risk. And we'll see if we'll see any pushback from Canadians."
The journalist pointed out that the CRTC had already begun "hearing public complaints, hundreds of them, if they should ban Fox News from Canada, for example. So that's worrying."
For more cutting-edge commentary on current affairs, tune in to our Sputnik Radio shows. 
