In response to the federal government’s recently passed Online Streaming Act, Canada’s broadcast regulator is considering creating a public registry whereby certain online streaming services would need to be registered in order to operate in the country, according to a consultation document.
The proposed public registry would allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to keep track of all online undertakings operating in Canada and collect what the broadcast regulator calls “the most basic information” pertaining to these undertakings, the CRTC wrote in a Notice of Consultation published on May 12.
In order to define what it means by “a material contribution,” the CRTC says it is proposing that only those online streaming services that post annual revenues of over $10 million be required to register.
It also says that individual Canadians, user-generated content creators—such as professional YouTubers—and online services whose only purpose is either providing video game services or unique transactions would not be required to register regardless of their yearly revenue.
Public Registry
Explaining its reasons for such a registry, the CRTC says it would help it to fulfill its regulatory mandate outlined in policy objectives set out in the federal Broadcasting Act, which was recently amended by the Online Streaming Act to bring online streaming platforms under the CRTC’s jurisdiction.It adds that the registry would allow the CRTC to “gather essential information from and provide regulatory information to these undertakings, where necessary.”
“Registration requirements are meant to be light, allowing the Commission to collect information, such as basic contact and corporate information as well as information regarding the essential features of the broadcasting services offered,” writes the broadcast regulator in its consultation notice.
The CRTC also recently announced that it’s considering what contributions online services should be required to make to the Canadian broadcasting system under the newly amended Broadcasting Act.
It also said it is looking to incentivize both domestic and international online platforms to support the creation and distribution of “Canadian and Indigenous audio and video content.”
While introducing its proposed online regulatory framework, the CRTC has maintained that it does not intend to regulate platforms’ algorithms to affect the discoverability of certain content.
The CRTC also says it has no intention of regulating user-generated content creators despite the Online Streaming Act’s wording allowing for it.
