A scandal between the Canadian government and YouTube
How are bloggers and regular users being set up in Canada?
YouTube is a personalized service for everyone, built around the principle of helping you find videos you want to watch that will be of interest to you. It uses many signals, including clicks, view times, submissions, likes, and more. It helps introduce viewers to new content and creators they may not have thought to look for.
Earlier in 2022, Canada passed the Online Broadcasting Act (Bill C-11) to support the creation and promotion of Canadian content.
What's puzzling, however, is that the current version of the bill could potentially disadvantage Canadian video bloggers who build their businesses on the platform, and could also change the personalized experience of the millions of Canadians who visit YouTube every day.
In its current form, Bill C-11 would require YouTube to manipulate automatic content selection systems and post content according to the CRTC's priorities rather than the interests of Canadian users. In practice, this means that when viewers go to YouTube's homepage, they are offered content that the Canadian government regulator has prioritized, rather than content that they are interested in.
"When users are recommended content that doesn't relate to their interests, they react negatively — skipping videos or giving negative ratings. When our search engines get these signals, they know that this content is not appealing to viewers and apply it globally. Consequently, it will be harder for Canadian bloggers to break through and connect with niche audiences, and that directly impacts revenue for video creators," Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Product Officer.
In Spring 2022, tens of thousands of Canadian creators raised their voices to share their concerns, but their concerns were not addressed. Moreover, millions of Canadians are not even aware of the bill or that their online experience could potentially change.
"Respecting each user's individuality and catering to their unique needs is a key part of what makes YouTube so special. We believe that the diversity of content, its creators and users is our strength, and we want to preserve the rich experience that Canadians enjoy today," Mohan said.
YouTube is now actively contributing to Canada's economy — a new study by Oxford Economics shows that YouTube's creative ecosystem directly contributed $1.1 billion CAD to the country's GDP in 2021. Nevertheless, more than 90% of Canadian channel viewing time comes from countries outside Canada.
OpenMedia, a public organization that works to keep the Internet open, has done considerable work in this area to inform Canadians about the bill. There is also a petition that has so far passed the 100,000-signature threshold.
