Rodriguez says online platforms could change algorithms to comply with proposed regulations
TCS Wire
Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says online platforms like Google and YouTube might resort to changing algorithms to comply with federal regulations proposed in Bill C-11.
Canadian Heritage Minister @pablorodriguez acknowledged before the Senate yesterday that Bill C-11 would empower gov to indirectly manipulate social media algorithms to comply with regulation.
Every single criticism of this bill has been proven true. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/X5OrBx1TvB
— Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
(@cosminDZS) November 23, 2022
At a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, Rodriguez said discoverability is key “so we can see our music, our films, our content.” He said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) wouldn’t mandate specific algorithms, but it will demand more Canadian content from social media platforms.
“It’s up to the platforms to decide how they do that,” he said. “They may decide that they touch their algorithms but that would be their own decision, they could have playlists, they could have filters…they can advertise (Canadian content).
The Conservative Party has warned that the bill will result in censorship, in which government gatekeepers can control which videos, posts and other content Canadians can see online.