The Prohibitionists Are Coming (but not in a good way)

[treveller]

The US has a law that protects internet content providers from legal action based on material posted by their users. This is the law that protects Backpage, Facebook, Twitter and all the bulletin boards from the prohibitionist hoards in the US. The US congress is about to gut that law, primarily so that Backpage and any similar sites can be more easily dragged into the courts.

As often happens, some groups are trying to drag Canada in the same direction. Here is a quote from https://www.sumofus.org/ .

It finally happened -- the coalition of Bell and other major Canadian telecommunications companies, called FairPlay Canada, just submitted its proposal to the CRTC to censor the internet and force the end of net neutrality in Canada.

This dangerous plan would create an internet “blacklist” that would have zero oversight in the courts. This would put unprecedented control of what websites Canadians can use in the hands of unaccountable corporations.

Another group fighting this creeping Internet control is based in Vancouver, https://openmedia.org/en/ca .

While the US races towards further censorship there is an opportunity for Canadians to provide some of the content that Americans in the so called "Land of Freedom" are denied.

Mean while we may need to do more to protect our own Internet freedoms.

Cheers.

 

[susi]

hi treveller!!! hope all is well!!!

:kiss:

 

[westwoody]

It's not about censorship it's about revoking net neutrality.

Rogers and Bell and Shaw will make huge profits by nickel and diming everyone every time you open a web page.

 

[westwoody]

The loss of net neutrality will be the end of the internet as we know it.

This is extremely important.

 

[CanineCowboy]

To be clear the crtc supports net neutrality.

As I understand it, the Fairplay Canada application is about blocking piracy websites. I have never supported content theft, so I don't have a problem with it.

 

[Addison Cortez]

I wonder if this has anything to do with credit cards pulling from payment options on backpage

 

[treveller]

I wonder if this has anything to do with credit cards pulling from payment options on backpage

All part of the same campaign.

 

[treveller]

To be clear the crtc supports net neutrality.

As I understand it, the Fairplay Canada application is about blocking piracy websites. I have never supported content theft, so I don't have a problem with it.

The fear is that the companies will be the ones deciding what sites should be blocked. No laws. No clear rules. No appeals. No due process.

Perhaps it could be a fair system that only blocks pirated content. What are the chances of that? And what comes next?

If someone has a problem with pirate content they can take legal action against the content provider. If there is a problem with that process then fix that process and leave the internet open.

 

[CanineCowboy]

Actually there is an appeal process. The rules, simple enough, host pirated content and risk being blocked. And if the crtc approves the application, then it will be a regulation.

Content piracy is a huge problem, that is why the consortium includes not only internet providers, but media companies, CBC, a swath of creative and production organizations and unions, and movie theaters. I have no problem with them protecting their property and livelihoods from illegal hosting sites like the 'putlockers'.

 

[treveller]

Here is a link to the Open Media page that helps you send a complaint to the CRTC.

From the comment that the page sends to the CRTC, "To start blocking one type of content opens the door for all kinds of other requests to block content — some of which may be legal, but just unpopular."

https://act.openmedia.org/dontcensor?src=162410