ItB次元官网网址檚 been years since he sat in a classroom studying the way a bill becomes law, but over the last several months Nathan Kennedy has taken on an unexpected political crash course as the proposed online-streaming legislation winds its way through the House of Commons and Senate.
The content creator from Hamilton, Ont., has found himself thrust into the parliamentary process because of the potential impact that Bill C-11 could have on his livelihood.
B次元官网网址淚 want to understand what the impact to my broader reach will be, whether itB次元官网网址檚 on TikTok or YouTube, because that impacts my business, who I do business with, and am I attractive to sponsors from international markets,B次元官网网址� Kennedy said.
To his 600,000 followers across various platforms heB次元官网网址檚 known as @newmoneynate.
In 2021, he started earning enough money talking about personal finance online that he quit his full-time job as a district manager.
Bill C-11 is awaiting a final vote in the Senate, and is likely to become law in the next several weeks.
But even after almost a year of debate and revisions, some content creators say the proposed law is too ambiguous, and they have no new assurances about what it will mean for them.
B次元官网网址淭he government hasnB次元官网网址檛 been able to provide any meaningful information to industry about the actual application of this proposed law,B次元官网网址� said Kai Hutchence, CEO of Massive Corporation Game Studios in Regina.
B次元官网网址淭hey say a lot of things, but most of it is extremely vague. They donB次元官网网址檛 provide a clear example of what they would do on given platforms.B次元官网网址�
Hutchence relies heavily on YouTube to promote digital products to international customers.
The bill will require big tech companies that offer online streaming services B次元官网网址� such as YouTube, Netflix and Spotify B次元官网网址� to contribute to Canadian content and increase its discoverability so that CanCon is easier to find through search engines, applications and websites.
If companies donB次元官网网址檛 comply, they could face steep penalties from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which will be in charge of enforcing the new provisions.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people have some sort of existential fear around being limited in some sense by some governing body,B次元官网网址� Kennedy said.
B次元官网网址淎nd thereB次元官网网址檚 collateral damage B次元官网网址� called creators B次元官网网址� that could be impacted by this.B次元官网网址�
In the past year, itB次元官网网址檚 become common for content creators to lean on one another for advice. Some have flown to Ottawa to speak to lawmakers. Others have even contemplated moving to the United States.
Google Trends, a website that tracks popular searches, shows peopleB次元官网网址檚 interest in Bill C-11 has grown in the last year, with inquiries seeking an explanation of the bill, whether it has passed and why it is bad.
Creators say there is disinformation about what it all will mean, and the debate has been politicized, with some who oppose the changes being called Conservative.
B次元官网网址淭he anxiety that (this bill) has provoked in the creator cannot be understated,B次元官网网址� said J.J. McCullough, an LGBTQ content creator, from his home in Vancouver.
B次元官网网址淚 think one thing a lot of (internet) creators feel very deeply about is that they do not want to live under a regulatory framework that governs television and radio in this country.B次元官网网址�
Like McCullough, some who have built careers on the internet say theyB次元官网网址檝e done so within a free enterprise model that works and doesnB次元官网网址檛 need fixing.
B次元官网网址淚 became popular by making content people want to watch, itB次元官网网址檚 as simple as that. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the only way you become popular on YouTube,B次元官网网址� said McCullough, who voiced his concerns about the law to Parliament.
B次元官网网址淲e want to make content whose success or failure is determined by the taste of a global audience, not by OttawaB次元官网网址檚 conception of what is the right kind of content for Canadians to consume. We find that very paternalistic, politicized, ideological and condescending.B次元官网网址�
Kennedy worries that discoverability requirements would affect his business model. If his videos donB次元官网网址檛 meet future CanCon standards, he said they could be de-prioritized by tech companies.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of times if you donB次元官网网址檛 perform well domestically, you might not make it internationally,B次元官网网址� he said.
Hutchence said the entire process has shown him the government B次元官网网址渉as become completely irrelevant to the individual.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he powers that be do what they want. ThereB次元官网网址檚 been no process to involve us,B次元官网网址� Hutchence said.
Kennedy said he has come to accept that the bill will pass, but heB次元官网网址檚 holding out hope the CRTC will work with content creators before it begins regulating the internet.
B次元官网网址淚t does make going to the United States more attractive,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 really think of content creators as a career, and if thereB次元官网网址檚 a better career opportunity for me in the U.S. then I have to consider that.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擬ickey Djuric, The Canadian Press
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