4 ms·

We should expect more licensing of tech companies in the future. Both in terms of the kinds of services that will require licenses to operate, and in the numbe

We should expect more licensing of tech companies in the future. Both in terms of the kinds of services that will require licenses to operate, and in the number of jurisdictions that require them. If you want to run a hotel or a burger joint or a general contractor, you need a license. It will be difficult to push back against the idea that tech companies should be treated the same. Not saying that this will be a good thing. Just that it will happen.

NBJack 3y ago
Suddenly, Google's deprecation of their podcast software makes a little more sense. Not much, but a little. That said, online streaming services are an odd one to target. I would expect the bigger fish to be website hosts, stores, etc. Or is that already regulated similarly?
- kmeisthax 3y ago
  The key thing to remember is that, pre-multimedia/pre-Internet, Canada had effective government control over broadcast media. Actually, every country did, because broadcast frequencies being finite was an effective counterargument against the 1st Amendment. Canada in particular used their de-facto censorship power to enforce "Canadian Content" regulations - as in, your radio station must push a certain percentage of music or talk shows deemed sufficiently "Canadian" enough by Canada's radio regulator. The Internet functionally destroyed this regime by walking away from publicly regulated spectrum. Canada wants those powers back, so they passed a bill which lets them apply Canadian Content regulations to streaming services that Canadians use. The podcast registration requirement is an extension of this: if they plan to require that people listen to[0] a certain percentage of Canadian Content[1] podcasts, then they need the services that push them to users to register so they know who to enforce the rules on. Website hosts and stores would be regulated under other rules that are very similar to the ones in other Anglosphere countries, i.e. without this weird censorship regime. It's only "streaming services" - i.e. "websites that look like something that would have been regulated under CRTC CanCon rules if they didn't have the Internet" - that are getting regulated here. [0] The Internet is ostensibly a "pull" medium, but in practice, everyone has recommendation algorithms which look like a more elaborate version of a broadcaster if you squint at them. [0] Which, BTW, is not content made by Canadians. If you're a Canadian creative you have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to be officially recognized as "Canadian Content".
  - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
    It sounds like the main way to meet content requirements is simply to remove non-Canadian content. Is there really much room for niche K-dramas on Netflix when you can’t find enough Canadian content to justify keeping it as a streaming option? Do you run an anime streaming service? Well, you’ll need to find a bunch of Canadian anime to remain compliant, otherwise your service is unviable.
  - philwelch 3y ago
    > Which, BTW, is not content made by Canadians. If you're a Canadian creative you have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to be officially recognized as "Canadian Content". This is the backstory of Bob and Doug McKenzie, a pair of characters developed for the sketch comedy show SCTV: > Bob and Doug, two dim-witted beer-swilling brothers wearing heavy winter clothing and tuques, would comment on various elements of Canadian life and culture, frequently employing the interjection "Eh?" and derisively calling each other "hoser." > The sketch was conceived when SCTV moved to the CBC television network. Due to the difference in the amount of time allocated for commercials, each episode to be broadcast on that network was two minutes longer than those syndicated to the United States. The CBC network heads asked the show's producers to add specifically identifiably Canadian content for those two minutes, in line with government broadcast regulations. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas thought that this was a ridiculous request, given that the show had been taped in Canada, with a mostly Canadian cast and crew, for two years.[2] The request inspired them to create a parody that would incorporate every aspect of the humorous stereotype of Canadians. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie
- c-hendricks 3y ago
  > Suddenly, Google's deprecation of their podcast software makes a little more sense > > *Various interveners, including* the global streaming services Apple Canada Inc. (Apple), Netflix Services Canada ULC (Netflix), Spotify, Roku, Inc. (Roku), TikTok Canada (TikTok) and *Google LLC (Google)*, as well as the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and the Motion Picture Association of Canada (MPAC), agreed with the proposed registration requirements, and *considered them to be light.*

NBJack 3y ago

Suddenly, Google's deprecation of their podcast software makes a little more sense. Not much, but a little. That said, online streaming services are an odd one to target. I would expect the bigger fish to be website hosts, stores, etc. Or is that already regulated similarly?

kmeisthax 3y ago
The key thing to remember is that, pre-multimedia/pre-Internet, Canada had effective government control over broadcast media. Actually, every country did, because broadcast frequencies being finite was an effective counterargument against the 1st Amendment. Canada in particular used their de-facto censorship power to enforce "Canadian Content" regulations - as in, your radio station must push a certain percentage of music or talk shows deemed sufficiently "Canadian" enough by Canada's radio regulator. The Internet functionally destroyed this regime by walking away from publicly regulated spectrum. Canada wants those powers back, so they passed a bill which lets them apply Canadian Content regulations to streaming services that Canadians use. The podcast registration requirement is an extension of this: if they plan to require that people listen to[0] a certain percentage of Canadian Content[1] podcasts, then they need the services that push them to users to register so they know who to enforce the rules on. Website hosts and stores would be regulated under other rules that are very similar to the ones in other Anglosphere countries, i.e. without this weird censorship regime. It's only "streaming services" - i.e. "websites that look like something that would have been regulated under CRTC CanCon rules if they didn't have the Internet" - that are getting regulated here. [0] The Internet is ostensibly a "pull" medium, but in practice, everyone has recommendation algorithms which look like a more elaborate version of a broadcaster if you squint at them. [0] Which, BTW, is not content made by Canadians. If you're a Canadian creative you have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to be officially recognized as "Canadian Content".
- seanmcdirmid 3y ago
  It sounds like the main way to meet content requirements is simply to remove non-Canadian content. Is there really much room for niche K-dramas on Netflix when you can’t find enough Canadian content to justify keeping it as a streaming option? Do you run an anime streaming service? Well, you’ll need to find a bunch of Canadian anime to remain compliant, otherwise your service is unviable.
- philwelch 3y ago
  > Which, BTW, is not content made by Canadians. If you're a Canadian creative you have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to be officially recognized as "Canadian Content". This is the backstory of Bob and Doug McKenzie, a pair of characters developed for the sketch comedy show SCTV: > Bob and Doug, two dim-witted beer-swilling brothers wearing heavy winter clothing and tuques, would comment on various elements of Canadian life and culture, frequently employing the interjection "Eh?" and derisively calling each other "hoser." > The sketch was conceived when SCTV moved to the CBC television network. Due to the difference in the amount of time allocated for commercials, each episode to be broadcast on that network was two minutes longer than those syndicated to the United States. The CBC network heads asked the show's producers to add specifically identifiably Canadian content for those two minutes, in line with government broadcast regulations. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas thought that this was a ridiculous request, given that the show had been taped in Canada, with a mostly Canadian cast and crew, for two years.[2] The request inspired them to create a parody that would incorporate every aspect of the humorous stereotype of Canadians. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie
c-hendricks 3y ago
> Suddenly, Google's deprecation of their podcast software makes a little more sense > > *Various interveners, including* the global streaming services Apple Canada Inc. (Apple), Netflix Services Canada ULC (Netflix), Spotify, Roku, Inc. (Roku), TikTok Canada (TikTok) and *Google LLC (Google)*, as well as the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and the Motion Picture Association of Canada (MPAC), agreed with the proposed registration requirements, and *considered them to be light.*