Bill C-11: A Proposal To Regulate Online Streaming Platforms

On February 2, 2022, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-11, referred to as the Online Streaming Act (Bill). The Bill, which seeks to amend Canada's Broadcasting Act (Act), aims to modernize Canada's broadcasting framework, notably by empowering the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate "online undertakings," a term that will encompass a range of undertakings, including video and music streaming service providers, as well as social media platforms. Underpinning the Bill are a number of broadcasting policy objectives, including supporting Canadian content creators, increasing access to Canadian content and its visibility, providing increased opportunities to produce programming in French and in Indigenous languages, and promoting diversity and inclusion in the broadcasting sector.