Canada has new rules set out for podcast streaming services and some people aren’t too excited about it, including people living outside the country.
This comes after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released a statement on Friday saying it would advance its plan to ensure online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content.
“We are developing a modern broadcasting framework that can adapt to changing circumstances. To do that, we need broad engagement and robust public records,” CRTC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Vicky Eatrides said.
Right now, the online streaming services that need to provide information about their activities in Canada are the ones that earn $10 million or more in annual revenues. They’ll also have to complete a registration form by November 28, 2023.
Social media services and online services that offer podcasts must register, but individuals who use social media to share podcasts do not have to. The CRTC says a list of registered services will be published on its website.
As you can imagine, this did not sit well with some members of the public, including Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk who called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government on Sunday saying the decision to regulate podcasts was “shameful.”
That’s not all, he even went on to say that “Trudeau is trying to crush free speech in Canada” and that X, formerly known as Twitter, will preserve the right to free speech.
