As you may recall, since last fall, the Canadian government has been working toward getting its bill C-10 enacted. The bill aims to allow taxing streaming services such as Netflix. Though this may have been the initial impetus behind the introduction of the bill, we’re now seeing that C-10 may also go so far as to allow the regulation of content placed online, including user-generated content, computer games and apps of all kinds. Yes, Canada seems to have decided to shed its laissez-faire attitude toward what’s placed on the Internet.

Indeed, it would now seem that the Liberal government may be trying to broaden bill C-10 so as to grant the CRTC additional powers to regulate whatever is placed online, including (the latest twist in this little legislative soap opera), apps—yes, you read this right: apps. This story is being disseminated by Michael Geist, further to a statement seemingly made by mistake by an MP while commenting on an amendment that has yet to be formally introduced. Apparently, the government may be in the process of making changes to C-10 that would allow the CRTC to regulate not only streaming services, but also some content itself, such as apps made available on the Internet.

Though the government stated it did not intend to try and regulate computer games, it now appears C-10 may, on the contrary, end up allowing the CRTC to regulate software made available through the Internet, a prospect that has many cringing.

From a bill initially justified as a way to simply allow the taxation of streaming services (such as Netflix) in Canada (to level the playing field vs. other ways of making content available to Canadians), we’re now faced with a bill that seems to be transmogrifying into a bill meant to empower the government (through the CRTC) to control what is placed or made available by and to Canadians online. This may end up being extended and/or applied to computer games, content placed on social networks, blog posts, podcasts, etc. Hmm, so much for the CRTC’s 2000 position that it wouldn’t mess with the Internet.

Is it just me or are we faced with a slight drift in the federal government’s recent efforts to try and better control the Internet in Canada? Hmmm—to be continued, unfortunately.