It is being called a blatant attack on free speech in Canada, as the government looks to move forward with a bill to regulate online videos.

Last month, the federal government opened debate on Bill C-10, which would amend the National Broadcasting Act to include video and audio posted on YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms.

The bill aims to regulate the content uploaded on these sites to follow the same rules that govern television and radio broadcasters.

However, Banff-Airdrie MP Blake Richards says the bill directly attacks freedom of speech and expression.

"The idea that, somehow, the government needs to approve what someone can say on their social media platforms or anywhere on the internet, how can it be seen as anything other than an attack on free speech?"

Last week, the Liberals closed debate on the bill after Richards and his Conservative colleagues voiced their displeasure.

Richards has since launched an online form for people to send their concerns about the bill to the government.

"We're pushing back hard and vigorously on this. The idea that they would try to limit the amount of opportunity there is to speak about a bill that limits freedom of speech is just insult to injury."

Recently the government addressed some of those concerns and said the bill would not regulate specific posts on social media. However, as Dr. Emily Laidlaw from the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary explains, that statement and other parts of the bill are still confusing.

"(I'm) trying to figure out what exactly the target is supposed to be here. Certainly, the implication is that it would have a disastrous effect on the way free speech is exercised online for Canadians."

Laidlaw said one trouble spot with the bill as it stands is that it doesn't appear to target individual users and only offers a blanket process for regulating content. She added that is where the trouble could eventually lie.

"Social media companies are forced to regulate users, but it doesn't tell them how. It just forces a certain, strict regulatory environment and that is the thing that ends up impacting our free speech."

The legislation has still not been passed and Laidlaw is curious as to what happens next. She understands one of the motives for introducing the bill could be to keep big tech companies accountable for harmful content they allow on their sites.

However, she said, even that motive is not 100 per cent clear right now.

"I certainly advocate when it comes to things like online harm that we do need stricter regulations. But it means that I'm a bit more wait and see about what they do about this. If that's the stated objective, to rein in big tech, how are they going to craft it here?"

Regardless, Richards said he will continue to fight the bill adding it could affect the livelihoods of those in Airdrie who rely on posting content to these sites.

"It could have a major impact as well on people who do rely on these tools and they're important tools in this day and age to do what they do. (I'm) very concerned about the limits this will place on a lot of people."

 

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