Scott tells senators CRTC won’t regulate algorithms

CRTC chair Ian Scott told members of the Senate Committee on Transport and Communication that the commission has no intention of regulating algorithms under the terms of the Online Streaming Act. The legislation, Bill C-11, is currently before the Senate. “What the bill will not do is allow the CRTC to mandate the use of specific algorithms or source code to achieve the objective of promotion and discoverability. And we have no issue with that limitation,” he told the panel in his opening statement. Many of his comments from an earlier appearance at the Senate committee have been taken out of context, the chair stated. He was particularly concerned with allegations that the commission would regulate individuals who post content to social media platforms. “The CRTC is not being given a power to regulate individual users in relation to the content they create,” he said. “I wish to assure you and Canadians more broadly that the CRTC has no intention of regulating individual TikTokers, YouTubers or other digital content creators.” Scott also took issue with the notion that discoverability will force platforms to do the CRTC’s dirty work for them. Algorithms do not necessarily factor into the ways in which those platforms achieve the goals of C-11. “For example online broadcasters could commit to promoting Canadian content through online or offline marketing and advertising, curated music lists or promotional reels,” he asserted. During the later question period, Scott Shortliffe, the CRTC’s executive director of broadcasting, who appeared alongside the chair, revealed that one platform offered to host a music festival in support of discoverability. He would not say which company it was. The regulator does not tell broadcasters what to put on air, Scott noted. “The CRTC is not, has not and will not be trying to direct what consumers watch.” The rules covering traditional broadcasting cannot be applied to the new platforms. He cited the example of Meta Platform Inc.’s Facebook which usually acts as a repository of user content. “Sometimes Facebook is a broadcaster,” Scott remarked. “They have had on their platform live coverage of the Blue Jays baseball in the past. When they engage in broadcasting, they will be of interest to the CRTC.” Committee chair Leo Housakos questioned Scott about censorship of content. He cited the example of a commission ruling on the use of the N-word on Radio-Canada. The CRTC chair was reluctant to get into specifics about the matter as it is currently before the courts. Scott admitted he has not seen the policy directives which will accompany the bill once it becomes law. The proceedings had been scheduled for 90 minutes but ran overtime due to a second round of questioning from senators. Quebec senator Dennis Dawson tried to curtail that second round, pointing out a half hour had been set aside for an in-camera discussion of committee business. Additional questions were eating into that time, he maintained. He also attacked Housakos for his questions on C-11. Housakos, who opposes the bill, was accused of being biased by his fellow senator. The chair responded that Dawson was merely upset because their biases were not the same when it came to the legislation. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

Scott tells senators CRTC won’t regulate algorithms

Broadcast | November 17, 2022

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Scott tells senators CRTC won’t regulate algorithms

Broadcast | November 17, 2022

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