Bell, Cineplex, Rogers and Shaw are trying to censor the internet and force the end of net neutrality in Canada

December 20, 2017

Sign Petition LINK

It’s scary — Bell, Cineplex, Shaw, and Rogers are trying to censor the internet and force the end of net neutrality in Canada. And worse, they’re trying to do it behind closed doors.

These 4 companies, led by Bell, are pushing to create an internet “blacklist” of certain websites that all internet service providers in Canada would legally have to block. They know this outrageous proposal would never pass, so first, they tried to sneak it into NAFTA negotiations — and now Bell is expected to introduce its proposal to Canada’s telecom regulator TOMORROW.

Critics are calling this move “unprecedented” and dangerous. If these companies get their way, this internet blacklist would have absolutely zero oversight in the courts. We need to stop this urgently.

Bell is pushing hard for the creation of an “Internet Piracy Review Agency” (IPRA) that would maintain a blacklist of websites, which all internet providers in Canada would be required to block with no court oversight. And right now, Shaw, Cineplex and other corporations support the proposal.

Bell is Canada’s largest telecommunications company, and it raked in $22 billion last year in profit. If Bell manages to get this proposal approved, it won’t stop there. Blocking one type of content opens the door to more, and is one step closer to ending net neutrality and greater corporate control.

Over the past three decades, the internet has evolved into an open landscape of ideas where every voice has a chance to be heard. It is a backbone of democracy and a critical forum of free expression. But big telecom corporations are trying to put corporate profits before the public good.

Canadian copyright laws and the rules enforcing them on the internet are already in place. Changes to these laws should happen through extensive public discourse — not in secret trade negotiations. Bell, Rogers, Shaw, and Cineplex are trying to undermine the democratic system and we need to stop them.

A massive public outcry can force them to back down, but we need to act now to protect the free and open internet. Bell is expected to put its proposal before the CRTC tomorrow. That means we need to speak out now.

Sign Petition through this LINK

More information

Bell Leads on Radical Proposal for CRTC-Backed Mandatory Website Blocking System

Michael Geist (blog). 5 December 2017. Michael Geist (blog). 5 December 2017.

Inside Bell’s Push To End Net Neutrality In Canada

Canadaland. 4 December 2017. Canadaland. 4 December 2017.

Bell Canada’s Call For Website Blocking ‘Outrageous,’ Advocates Say

Huffington Post. 28 September 2017. Huffington Post. 28 September 2017.

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