Revoke Bill C-18

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Below is the text of a note sent to the PM's office via the Prime Minister's contact page. The note was prompted by the fact that I was/am unable to link to an important article about the abduction of a Canadian citizen by ICE in the United States -- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/canadian-detained-us-immigration-jasmine-mooney --  Although I was aware of the event and others would be too, it is important to read the article to get the whole picture. As I was aware of it prior to reading the article I thought it was an aberrant case that would not apply to my family and myself. Having read the article, my opinion is entirely different. The more comprehensive description indicates to me that for the time being travel in the United States is positively unsafe. 

I wrote specifically at length about Bill C-18 here:

https://blog.bobtrower.com/2023/08/repeal-canadas-online-news-act.html

Letter to the Prime Minister

Subject: Urgent Call to Revoke Bill C-18

As a professional with decades of experience in all types of networks, I must emphasize that Bill C-18 is fundamentally flawed—both technically and morally. It exemplifies how short-sighted lobbying and incompetent legislative processes can create laws that actively harm the public.

By mandating payments for news content, the bill has led platforms like Meta to block legitimate news, forcing users to rely on unreliable sources. This fosters misinformation and endangers Canadians—especially in times of crisis.

For example, in an article now unshareable due to C-18 restrictions, a Canadian detained by U.S. immigration describes how "Ice detention isn’t just a bureaucratic nightmare. It’s a business. These facilities are privately owned and run for profit." She further states, "This is not just my story. It is the story of thousands and thousands of people still trapped in a system that profits from their suffering."

These urgent realities must be widely known, yet C-18 prevents access to such critical journalism.

Bill C-18 is not just ineffective—it is dangerous. I urge lawmakers to revoke it before misinformation further erodes public safety and informed discourse in Canada.

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Upon review, I decided to do this post and reference it because I deal with these issues at length in numerous posts online. 

Follow-up Letter to the Prime Minister

Subject: Follow-Up on Bill C-18 Concerns and Accessibility of Critical News Content

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to follow up on my previous correspondence regarding the urgent need to revoke Bill C-18. In my earlier note, I highlighted the unintended consequences of this legislation, particularly how it has led platforms like Meta to block legitimate news content, thereby fostering misinformation and endangering public safety.

To provide a more detailed analysis and to share specific examples that underscore these concerns, I have elaborated on this issue in a recent blog post: Revoke Bill C-18. This post expands upon the points raised in my initial message and includes references to critical news articles that I was unable to share on platforms like Facebook due to the restrictions imposed by Bill C-18.

https://blog.bobtrower.com/2025/03/revoke-bill-c-18.html 

I urge you to consider the insights presented in the blog post and to take swift action to revoke this legislation to ensure that Canadians have unfettered access to reliable news sources.

Sincerely,

Bob Trower

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Here's a link to that contact page, BTW:

https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact

I wrote about aspects of publishing touching on Bill C-18:

"legislative efforts like Canada’s Bill C-18—intended to protect news producers—favor large incumbents while locking out small publishers entirely. Critics argue this entrenches disparities in access and control, leaving smaller players unable to compete (Parliament of Canada, 2023)."

The post is here:

https://blog.bobtrower.com/2025/01/the-end-of-era.html

I also wrote about the notion that so-called 'IP' is generally injurious to the body politic:

https://blog.bobtrower.com/2022/12/abolish-copyrights-make-world-better.html

https://blog.bobtrower.com/2025/02/who-owns-our-culture.html




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