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The application comes as more consumers access content online, legally or illegally. While Netflix continues to grow in Canada (there are an estimated 6 million subscribers), broadcasters are dealing with cord cutting as television subscriptions and revenue dip despite a growing population. Meantime, a 2017 study from Sandvine estimated that more than 1 million Canadian households used Android boxes with applications that allow them to access pirated TV for free or for cheap.

But the piracy-fighting proposal is controversial. While many across creative industries support the idea – the measures intend to get pirated content offline faster, and thus keep consumers in paid environments – others criticize it for violating net neutrality, the principle that internet providers treat all content equally. The fear is that companies could get overzealous in blocking, especially given providers such as Bell, Rogers and Quebecor own both content and the distribution channels.



Bell floated the idea of blacklisting websites in government hearings on NAFTA last fall, prompting internet lawyer Michael Geist to write a series of posts criticizing what he called an aggressive, anti-consumer, anti-speech proposal. He highlighted the risks of allowing a third-party panel to block websites without court oversight. Consumer advocacy group Open Media also opposed the idea.

As it stands, rights holders can fight online pirates through the courts under the Copyright Act. When asked to comment on the proposal, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains pointed to Canada’s strong copyright laws, including the notice-and-notice regime. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to net neutrality.