Google on Canadian Net regulation debate
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Should online content be regulated in Canada? And should ISPs be taxed to help finance it?
No to both questions, declares Quebecor.
And so does giant American advertising company Google.
Earlier in the year, the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) asked for comments on the impact new media has had on the Canadian broadcasting system, and whether steps should be taken to regulate it.
Final submissions for a hearing slated for February 19 were due last Friday and Quebecor Media was among companies which handed in briefs, maintaining there’s no evidence, or justification, “to support regulation of the Internet, to lift the current exemption orders or impose a tax on the revenues of Internet Service Providers to finance content production”.
A “regulatory approach” is neither appropriate nor available, “to ensure that Canadian content has a presence in the virtual world where citizens have access to an impressive range of content offered by more than 185 million sites,” it says, stating it’s up to the government, and ultimately, parliament, to, “develop policies and determine appropriate ways to meet the challenges of the digital revolution, as well as the development of the Internet and new media”.
Any attempt to regulate new media, “like that governing traditional media,” would, “harm Canadian competition in the new-media universe and would isolate Canada from most democratic nations that have refrained from imposing a regulatory system in this area,” Quebecor continues, stating taxing ISPs would be a, “major strategic error”.
“Quebecor Media opposes any plan to require Internet Service Providers to divert any part of their revenues to financing of content that they do not need and whose production and distribution are not part of their mission,”it declares. “Such an initiative would be unproductive and, in any case, illegal. To be avoided is any model along the lines of the Canadian Television Fund, whose limits in today’s world are demonstrated by governance rules and criteria that frustrate evolution toward a viable system for the medium and long term that could ensure sustained development in the sector.”
The Net is the realm of “on demand” and “do it yourself,” where new forms of entertainment and communications are created on a regular basis. “There is competition between content produced by media professionals and by users, with the clear advantage so far to the latter.”
Google’s thoughts on what should happen to Canadian content?
Ensuring it remains unregulated is essential to keeping the Net “awesome,” it says, according to the Financial Post, which goes on:
” ‘The Commission should resist the temptation to try to fix what is not broken,’ Google said.
“Without regulation the Canadian broadcasting policy objectives have been, and will continue to be, implemented on the Internet. The New Media Exemption is the best regulatory approach to keeping the Internet awesome.”
Google decided to contribute, “because it provides free access and several platforms for accessing Canadian content on the Internet, including YouTube and its localized search service,” says the story, also pointing out other concerns including ACTRA, CTVglobemedia Inc, the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association [of America]), “and even the National Hockey League” also want Canada’s portion of Cyberspace to remain untrammelled.
However, some organisations are, “less sanguine,” says the story, adding:
“A potential tax suggested in preliminary discussions with the federal regulator of between 2.5% to 5% of gross revenues to be levied on Internet service providers that would go to broadcasters was met with widespread opposition by industry players.
” ‘We believe that adopting the proposed ISP tax would be contrary to the best interests of Canada,’ a consortium of ISP companies including BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., SaskTel and Telus Corp said in a joint submission.”
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Quebecor – CRTC Public Hearings on New Media: Quebecor Media Sees No Justification for Regulating the Internet, December 8, 2008
Financial Post – Google says no to regulated new media content in Canada, December 7, 2008
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December 9th, 2008 at 9:06 am
I would say No and Yes.
At the same time legalize file sharing and enforce net neutrality.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:59 am
What ever happened to freedom of speech….
regulation of the internet is very unethical….
who is to say what is acceptable to the public… if not the people… If it offends you… LOOK AWAY
Soon the CRTC will try to put regulations on what our mouths can say!
Last time I checked this was a free Country that I am proud of…
This will bring us one step closer to becoming China…
Regulate Everything and Shut your mouth if you don’t like it…. yea that’s a Canada I want to live in
December 9th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I’m not against a widespread media tax in Canada, directed at ISP’s at all. A 3% to 5% levy to make downloading legal would be the most logical step that the government could take. Other countries would follow suit, but wouldn’t it be worth it to erase the stigma of downloading? To end the endless litagation and harrassment by the movie and recording industry? It’s a way to legalize file sharing effectively and with a barely noticable cost. I would have to ask that the current levy on blank cd/dvd discs be erased in the process however, since that would be double-dipping. There is no reason why this can’t happen since it would shut them up once and for all.
Dave
December 9th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Typical Canadian government BS! Let’s tax the ISP’s which will in turn charge the consumer the tax. So again we are taxed. And hey lets be told what we can view for content on the internet. Why does the government feel the need to DICTATE to us what we can watch on TV or the internet. Why does it feel that we are moving backwards and not forward with media / technology. Once and for all get rid of the CRTC!
December 9th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
The CRTC is trying to tell us it is in OUR best interest to do this because of the impact this ânew mediaâ has on the Canadian broadcasting system???
They want to regulate the content that is available to us on the internet âto ensure that Canadian content has a presence in the virtual world where citizens have access to an impressive range of content offered by more than 185 million sites,â
You know what? LET US DECIDE!
What better way to control the people than by restricting the information they can get. Did we all go to sleep and wake up in a communist country?? What is going on here?
December 9th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
so…..instead of using http://www.google.CA (Canada)
I will use http://www.google.COM (the rest of the world)
December 9th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3565/125/
It’s all about censorship and ripping off Canadians
Priceless comment from “Tavakoli , Aaron” on the CRTC page above:
— quote —
Censorship/control/regulation of content on the internet in Canada would ultimately isolate and create a false barrier around Canadians internet experience. The internet was designed to be a global experience, independant and protected from content regulation and governmental influence.
More importantly, unlike TV, internet Bandwidth is NOT the property of the government, to sell and divide up amongst broadcasters, internet bandwidth is the property of the people who access it. While it costs $millions to setup and establish a TV channel, it costs next to nothing to establish content on the internet, therefore, there is no need to regulate content providers, as everyone has equal billing to publish and represent their own ideas/language/culture.
The CRTC has absolutely no right or duristriction to interfere with the internet or internet access for Canadians, infact you already overstep your boundaries with the ridiculous regulations you impose to censor and block TV broadcasting, creating false economies for companies in Canada to overcharge and ripoff canadians, under the pretense of ensuring Canadian content, which is pathetic, and recieves no audience.
— / quote —
December 9th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Good afternoon,
Our company is a Canadian Internet Service Provider. Considered an ISP. We do not provide line services, (internet access) but provide the services our clients use once they have access to the net. With larger groups like Telus, Shaw, Rogers and many US companies competing with us for market share, a new levy would only serve to hurt the smaller service providers while giving an advantage to the larger ones. As we do not provide line access, how would this levy apply to website hosting companies and development groups? Clearly this new levy has not been thought out properly or has lumped all companies that transact on the internet as one group.
As our company (A Canadian company) provides a valuable service to Canadian companies and pays for our own bandwidth, would a new levy not serve to reduce that availability to Canadian companies? Or is this simply an attempt to give the larger participants an even greater market share by squeezing out the smaller ISP? I would think that rather than simply taxing the industry as a whole, providing a fair and equal access to the Canadian public would be paramount to ensuring Canadian content was not lost in ‘netspace’. We have all seen the abysmal failure that the CBC has become, how about we leave Canadian content on the internet an opportunity for success.
Thanks for reading.
..Adam
December 9th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
OH Canada Glorious and ????
After all the crap we citizens of this country have dealt with lately, I’ll let “you all” decide upon an appropriate 4 letter word that completes this line….
Pissed on the left coast.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:47 am
The internet is suppose to be “global” not national. The CRTC should think before making decisions. I do watch Canadian content online, but some of the shows been cancelled. So what am I suppose to watch then? I don’t have cable, I refuse to pay to watch tv.
We already have enough taxes as it is. GST, PST and income tax. Now you want to tax ISPs. Heck why don’t you guys just take our pay checks and we’ll be your slaves, that is what it is coming to these days.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Just another dinosaur government agency that looks to find something for it’s self to do by creating and promoting yet another irritation, red tape, regulation and censorship to further impare the freedoms of Canadians to be able to see and participate in the world as it is and on top of that charge an extra tax to Canadian citizens through their ISPs, than provide a poorer regulated, censored service to the Canadian internet consumer!
They keep telling us that we are in a democracy, however I believe that as long as we allow outdated, money wasting agencies like the CRTC to operate I assure you we will continue to lose freedoms and quality of life in this country! It is supposed to be Government run by the people for the people!
Presently it is Government that claims to have been elected in one way or the other, even as coalition if they fail to win an election and whoever becomes our Government seems to believe Governing Canadians now is done by a system of facist dictating!
All these types of annoyances are coming forward at a time when our economy is falling through the tank adding still more aggrevation to Canadian citizens!
How dare such a defunct and useless agency as the CRTC start whining for more control of the internet and higher taxes for the use of the internet! The CRTC must be related to Stephane Dion? Both being tax wielding dinosaurs!
I say as Canadian citizens we should demand who ever is the elected Government of Canada to abolish the CRTC, they are not working in the interests of the majority of Canadians therfore they are unworthy of tax payers money that is provided for their operation!
Canadians need to stand up for themselves and demand Government and Government agencies to do the bidding of the people who voted them in and when these elected officials do not do the will of the people, but rather look after some lobbying corporation or cowtail to some decrepit Government agency, come next election that Government should be severelyvoted out of power!