How will the Online Streaming Act affect you?

The Online Stream Act was back in the news this week as the federal government gave its final direction to the national regulator about the law covering digital content.

The act is now with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which will take years to consult and craft policy to regulate Canada’s future broadcasting eco-system.

The way media is consumed and distributed has profoundly changed as Canadians embrace streaming services and digital content. The goal of modernizing the Act is to address those changes, though there has been plenty of confusion about what will be regulated.

The CRTC said the rules are not aimed at content creators, and they won’t apply to your organization’s use of social media. Instead, the aim is to update who is considered broadcasters in the modern era. For example, uploading videos to YouTube won’t be regulated but companies such as YouTube that broadcast commercial content might be.

Check out this article from CHEK clarifying some of the confusing claims about the Act.