It’s not often the general public responds en masse to anything the CRTC is considering. But when it hits them where they live, they’re quite capable of putting their two cents in. And it’s happening as the Commission seeks comment on ways to protect Canadian content in the age of the Internet.
 
It started when the usual suspects – led by (who else?) Bell – became part of a group demanding that the government pass laws that will block Canadians from accessing websites that they say contribute to piracy. And while it’s hard to support pirates, the problem comes when the Bells and Rogers of the world get a say on what you can and can’t see – and who gets to decide what that is.
 
And so it is that more 5,000 people have written the CRTC to essentially say “hands off my Netflix” and “hands off my Internet.”
 
According to a Canadian Press article, when told that some Can Con programming would end if special protections aren’t instituted, one Alberta man put it simply. “This begs the question: so what?”
 
CRTC's dilemma: balance consumer and telecom's feelings on broadcast's future
 
One last thing. In the thread about the CRTC refusing to open a probe into apparent questionable practices of Bell and Rogers, the Commission indicated it wasn’t interested because there are other avenues consumers can pursue. If that's the case, I would argue that there are other roads already in place that the big Telcos can go down to help stop piracy without shutting down your access to sites they don't like. 
 
Seems pretty hypocritical if the CRTC were to argue that the cable/satellite companies need special protection while refusing to do anything to stop their customers from being ripped off. I don’t think most people watch anything the Commission does in general. But judging by the response, they’re paying attention to this. And that’s a good thing.