Canada’s Online Streaming Act Receives Royal Assent

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Bill C-11, known as the Online Streaming Act, has been signed into law by the Canadian government.

The Online Streaming Act requires streaming services to contribute to the creation, production and distribution of Canadian stories “in a way that is flexible and fair.” The law is meant to give Canadians more opportunities to see themselves in what they watch and hear, “under a new framework that will lead to a modern definition of Canadian Content that better reflects our country’s diversity.”

This marks the first major reform to the Broadcasting Act since 1991.

Now that the Online Streaming Act has passed, the government will need to provide direction to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which will be responsible for the implementation of the Act.

CRTC chairperson and CEO, Vicky Eatrides, said: “The CRTC will establish a modernized regulatory framework where all players contribute equitably. The broadcasting system will ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content. Creators will have opportunities to tell their stories, and Canadians will have access to a greater variety and diversity of content. The CRTC has no intention to regulate creators of user-generated content and their content.

“We will share our detailed plan and launch the first public consultations shortly. We will adapt our approach in light of any future policy direction.

“The views of all Canadians will be important at every step. We encourage everyone to participate, including traditional players and streaming services who will be regulated, as well as Canadians who will benefit from the modernized system.

“Together, we will build the best possible framework for broadcasting in the 21st century.”

Pablo Rodriguez, minister of Canadian heritage, commented on the bill: “Today, we are standing up for our stories, our artists, our producers and our creators. We’re standing up so that Canadians have even more opportunities to see themselves in what they watch and listen to. With this legislation, we are ensuring that Canada’s incredible talent has a bigger and brighter stage online. They tell our stories, they make our voices heard, they contribute to our economy, and they make our culture what it is: strong, diverse and unique. Today, we stand up because our stories matter and our artists who tell them matter.”