By Canadian Press

Heritage minister, Google clash over online streaming bill

Oct 6, 2022 | 10:00 AM

OTTAWA — Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says he doesn’t appreciate Google “trying to intimidate Canadians” after the company pushed back on a proposed online streaming bill.

Google published a blog post on Wednesday advocating against Bill C-11, saying it has the potential to “disadvantage the Canadian creators.”

When asked about that criticism, Rodriguez says the proposed law simply asks streamers — including YouTube, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet — to contribute to Canadian culture.  

The online streaming bill, which has passed the House of Commons and is now in the Senate, would force streaming platforms to promote Canadian TV, movies, videos or music, and help fund Canadian content.

YouTube executive Jeanette Patell told a Senate committee last month that it gives far too much discretion to Canada’s broadcasting regulators to make demands around user-generated content.

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Bill C-11 has been sharply opposed by digital-first creators and Conservative MPs, who claim it would allow a future government to regulate people posting videos on YouTube — a charge the government denies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2022. 

The Canadian Press