General

Google to Canada: Keep the Internet free!

Spokesman urges MPs not to impose content rules online

Speaking to a group of MPs, Google’s Canadian point man urged Ottawa not to “turn back the clock.” Jacob Glick appeared in front of the Canadian Heritage committee on Tuesday to urge lawmakers not to impose Canada’s notoriously stringent content rules online. Content rules already regulate what programs fill prime time TV slots, and what songs are played on Canadian radio. But Glick warned that applying similar rules to the Internet would reduce industry competitiveness and limit financial opportunities for up-and-coming Canadian artists. The heritage ministry is in the process of studying the impact of “new media” on Canadian culture. On Tuesday, Glick faced the most opposition from Quebec MPs—including Bloc Quebecois MP Carole Lavallee who worries about the low-brow work typically featured on sites like YouTube.

Globe and Mail

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