Bell's bid to block the Internet
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
Bell is trying to censor Canada’s Internet.
Tomorrow, they could put forward a proposal to have Canada’s telecom regulator, the CRTC, set up a body that would block websites that they deem to have pirated content on them. It’s a slippery slope — with no court oversight.
Bell has some support from Shaw, but Telus and Rogers haven’t made their stance clear — help us push them over the edge in support of an open Internet and Net Neutrality,... and against censorship.
If enough of us speak out, we can stop this censorship proposal dead in its tracks. Please take 30 seconds now, Paov — Canada’s Internet depends on it.
Yours for an open web,
Katy, on behalf of OpenMedia
Paov, Bell is at it again.
This month, Bell put forward a radical proposal to block the websites you visit. It would result in sweeping Internet censorship and put Canada’s robust Net Neutrality rules at risk.1
The news comes as Net Neutrality protections were abolished today in the United States.2 This latest assault by Bell shows that Canadians — despite having robust Net Neutrality laws — must stay vigilant when it comes to protecting our free and open Internet.3
Bell first tried to put forward this proposal with NAFTA, and now they are trying to use the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to endorse their plan to censor the Internet by blocking websites that may have pirated material — but with no court oversight.4
But, we can be certain Bell wouldn’t stop there. Blocking one type of content opens the door to blocking more. As content owners and creators, our community has told us they are worried Bell will find any mechanism they can to prioritize their content above others.
As it stands, Bell has Shaw on their side — Shaw supports the dangerous proposal, with the addition of court oversight — but it’s unclear where Telus and Rogers stand.5 If enough of us urge the CEOs of Bell’s competitors not to support this proposal, we can isolate Bell, hugely undermining their case with the CRTC.
We can and must stop this plan it’s tracks. We need you to urge the heads of Telus and Rogers to come out strong against this now.
Our free and open Internet is under attack on all sides, from the U.S. repeal of Net Neutrality, to Bell’s repeated attempts to dictate what we can and can’t see online. They’re not stopping, so we can’t either.
How long will it be before they decide to just block content they don’t like, or disapprove of, or disagree with? Bell’s proposal will lead Canadians down a dangerous path — it must stop here.
Help us keep the web open and free — please take 30 seconds now to share your concerns with the CEOs of Rogers and Telus: Demand they do the right thing and oppose Bell’s radical and overreaching proposal.
Thank you for standing with us,
—Katy, for your OpenMedia team
P.S. This will be the first big fight to protect our Internet in 2018, but it won’t be the last. Please consider becoming a monthly donor to OpenMedia to support the work for a free and open Internet.
Footnotes
[1] Inside Bell’s Push To End Net Neutrality In Canada: r32 If you no longer wish to receive our r46 to unsubscribe.
