Ottawa, ON – Alain Rayes, Conservative Shadow Minister for Canadian Heritage, issued the following statement calling on the Liberal government to scrap changes they made to Bill C-10 that would regulate social media:
 
“Conservatives support creating a level playing field between large foreign streaming services and Canadian broadcasters, but not at the cost of Canadians’ fundamental rights and freedoms. That is why we are calling on the Trudeau Liberals to scrap the proposed changes to Bill C-10 and end their attempt to regulate social media.
 
“Last week, the Trudeau Liberals withdrew a section of their own bill that protects individual users, and instead supported sweeping government powers to regulate Canadians on the internet, including their activity on apps and social media platforms like Youtube and Facebook.
 
“Experts have slammed this misguided decision by the Trudeau Liberals. Peter Menzies, the former commissioner of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), says this is a ‘full-blown assault’ on free expression and ‘the foundations of democracy.’
 
“With these changes to the legislation, there is clear proof the Liberals are targeting everyday Canadians who use their phones. This is unacceptable in a society that values its freedom.
 
“Canadians expect the government to protect their freedoms, not invade them. Canada’s Conservatives will always stand up for the freedoms of individual internet users in Canada.”