Summary
On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo
Rodriguez introduced Bill C-11 titled the Online Streaming
Act (the "Bill"), to amend the Broadcasting
Act. The Bill is a new version of the Liberal government's
previously proposed broadcasting legislation, Bill C-10, which
failed to pass in the Senate last year before Parliament dissolved
ahead of the federal election. The Bill proposes changes that would
bring online streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon and
Spotify, under domestic broadcasting regulation and may require
them to, among other things, make expenditures to support Canadian
audio or audio-visual programs. This could potentially include
funding for programs created and produced by Canadian minority
groups and serving minority populations such as Indigenous peoples,
racialized communities, cultural and linguistic minorities, LGBTQ2+
communities, and persons with disabilities.
