It's a controversial bill that's supposed to promote Canadian content online and bring the Internet in line with national broadcasting regulations. But increasingly, experts are warning it may have the exact opposite effect and could wind up hurting the very people it's supposed to help. 

The reason is the way the algorithms of platforms like YouTube work. It would force CanCon to the top of the list here at first, but if viewers ignore the suggestions and don't click on them or give them a thumbs down, it will rank them lower in popularity and eventually you won't see them at all worldwide. And other countries could block Canadian generated videos in retaliation for forcing their own content off the list. 

YouTube, TikTok say Liberals’ online streaming bill would harm digital creators

There are also concerns about what counts as "Canadian." Under the existing rules, there are so many exceptions to shows and videos you'd think would instantly qualify as "Canadian" that some won't make the cut. Including Justin Bieber or Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."

"Because of the outdated rules, Bill C-11 would make it harder for viewers to watch content that should be considered Canadian but isn’t, such as the series based on Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale. Under the same outdated rules, non-Canadian content could become easier to see. A biopic of former U.S. President Donald Trump, called “Gotta Love Trump,” is currently considered Canadian.

"Do you like to watch content streamed from other parts of the world? Bill C-11 could very well impact your ability to watch your favourite show from India or South Korea because Bill C-11 would force foreign content providers to follow all kinds of new rules and regulations in order to enter the Canadian market."

There are also concerns that the broad language in the bill would give the CRTC the power to effectively censor the Internet and user generated content, which the CRTC has insisted is a power it will never use. But as critic Jay Goldberg notes in a piece about the dangers of this legislation:

"The Trudeau government is asking us to trust that bureaucrats won’t use the full power handed to them. At least for now. That’s like asking us to trust a gambling addict at a casino."

The bill is currently working its way through the Senate, the last step before it becomes law, but it has alarmed many western countries around the world, who fear it goes way too far - noting not a single other so-called "free" nation has ever attempted anything this restrictive. And they wonder why the feds are so adamant about passing it, that they've introduced it twice in two terms and limited debate on any changes.

I try not to let politics find its way onto this board as a rule, but this law is such a game changer, is so filled with potential problems and it will affect so much of what we do online, it only seemed prudent to reiterate what so many others (including two former CRTC Commissioners, a respected law professor, and those Canadians who make a living filing content to YouTube) fear about what happens if it's passed.