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Budget Disaster

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Published on Wednesday, 29 March 2017 11:00
Written by editor
OpenMedia r1

Paov,

The government just kicked the door open to an Internet Tax, Internet censorship rules, and slow lanes online – rules experts say could “dramatically alter the Internet in Canada.”1

The federal government’s budget promises a wide-ranging, unwieldy review of key Internet safeguards that’s sure to unleash the full wrath of Big Telecom’s lobbyists. As expert Peter Nowak says, “The likelihood of the rules going against the public interest is just too great."2

The government has even undermined our historic CRTC... win that made the Internet a basic service for all Canadians. Their budget does nothing to bring Canadians faster, cheaper Internet.

The government just opened Pandora’s Box on the open web, and our digital future is up for grabs. Experts like Professor Michael Geist have said that in 2017, “...Canada’s digital policy future will hang in the balance.”3

There is only one way to stop this. We urgently need your support to scale up OpenMedia so we can be ready for what comes next. We need to hire new staff, and ensure we build the best tools possible to demand our government stand up for the open Internet.

Can you chip in to our urgent appeal to make this happen?

With nearly 1-in-5 Canadians offline, and a huge number of Canada’s lowest-income residents unable to afford wireless services, we need policies that decrease the cost of Internet services and close our digital divide more than ever.

Here’s what the government has kicked open the door to:

  • A review of Canada’s intellectual property rules, which could lead to new forms of Internet censorship;
  • A review of Canada’s Telecommunications and Broadcasting Acts, which could lead to the Internet looking a lot more like cable TV;
  • A review of Canada’s Net Neutrality rules, which could lead to Big Telecom providers imposing slow lanes on the Internet, and to mobile phone providers making the use of certain apps more expensive than others.

Pretty scary, huh?

Now, more than ever, we need to step up and fight back. And to do that, we’re going to need your support.

Please support OpenMedia so we can stand up for your digital rights going forward.

Thanks in advance for your support,

–Josh, on behalf of OpenMedia

P.S., We’re not standing idly by while this happens. Last Tuesday we met with Heritage Minister Melanie Joly’s team to discuss digital policy, and we will continue to speak up in Ottawa until your voices are heard. But this can’t happen without your support. Click here to make it happen!

Footnotes

[1], [3] Budget 2017: Why Canada’s Digital Policy Future Is Up For Grabs. Source: Michael Geist.

[2] Federal budget delivers innovation – and internet angst. Source: r32 If you no longer wish to receive our r46 to unsubscribe.

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