OTTAWA The Department of Justice has concluded that recent amendments to Bill C-10 would not restrict the freedom of expression of social media users under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It comes as the Liberals face scrutiny for removing and refusing to reinstate an exemption from the bill that protected individuals’ online content from its proposed Broadcasting Act, prompting the free speech concerns. Through Bill C-10, the government is seeking to make changes aimed at ensuring major social media platforms and streaming services such as Netflix, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Spotify pay their fair share towards Canadian artists and are held to similar standards as regular broadcasters.
Liberal and NDP MPs voted in committee last week to shut down debate on a motion on their Bill C-10 which would give the Federal government â through the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) â unprecedented censorship powers over broadcasting by expanding the definition to include everything from newspaper websites to user-generated content on social media. The Conservatives had put forward a motion that this would violate the Charter of Rights protection in Sec.2b that âEveryone has the following fundamental freedoms: (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.â
A motion by Conservative MP Rachael Harder called for the Heritage committee to send the bill back to the Justice Minister for an updated âcharter statement.â Charter statements are issued by the Justice Minister and look at the potential effects a government bill might have under the Char