Spring 2023 Donor Report Back

From C-11 to Rogers-Shaw, your support has made real change possible.

The start of 2023 has flown by and has had a tremendous effect on Internet policy. Here are just a few examples of the impact made because of YOUR support and donations as well as a glimpse into the next chapter of these long-term fights for your digital rights: 

YOU were heard: the CRTC lowered wholesale rates

YOU spoke out and they listened. The CRTC finally acted and announced an immediate interim 10% reduction of wholesale rates to increase competition and lower prices. This is a HUGE WIN.  And it doesn’t stop there, they’ve gone beyond our asks and given competitors access to fibre networks, which could get you faster internet speeds. 

This is a step in the right direction, but there is more work ahead of us. The CRTC launched a consultation on affordability and Internet services and we will be first in line to amplify your voice. 

The final hours of C-11: looking towards the next fight 

It’s been a long battle: we took YOUR voice to the Senate with a petition delivering over 100,000 messages and they listened. The Senate added a vital amendment that protects your posts from being regulated by the CRTC. This is a huge win. 

Unfortunately, the House of Commons has tried to reject this crucial amendment and sent Bill C-11 back to the Senate without it. We’ve launched a rapid campaign in response demanding the Senate stand firm, listen to Canadians, and reject the House's decision.

And the fight won’t end there. Beyond C-11, OpenMedia has plans to continue to grapple with the CRTC and Cabinet to keep their hands off your posts and content.

A chance for a HUGE impact on TWO privacy bills 

There are big changes coming inprivacy legislation through Bills C-26 and C-27. While the former goes infringes on your privacy, the latter doesn’t do enough to protect it.

Bill C-26 is the government’s proposed cybersecurity legislation. In its current form, it grants the government new legislative power to invade the digital privacy of Canadians. This includes opening the door to obligate private companies to conduct surveillance to turning off your access to the internet without explanation. 

While Bill C-26 fails to provide meaningful cybersecurity protections, Bill C-27 tries to give people in Canada long overdue privacy rights. But right now it actually weakens privacy protections and creates more ways for corporations to exploit our information for profit. 

But your chance to change this is just around the corner. We’ve already delivered YOUR voice on C-27  to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with over 17,000 messages and we are preparing our next actions to push for amendments to both bills to get the privacy protections YOU deserve. 

Rogers-Shaw: your impact and what comes next

We delivered over 61,000 signatures calling to block the deal and we pushed Rogers to give up Freedom Mobile. Despite this,  Minister Champagne approved the Rogers-Shaw buyout this past week, dealing a major blow to competition in Canada. But rest assured that the fight against monopolies is far from over. 

We’ve launched a petition for the CRTC to stop the destruction of indie Internet providers. We are also heading directly to the CRTC to engage in the CRTC consultation on the Competition Act which aims to improve and direct competition legislation in Canada. Our goal is simple: to prevent competition crushing buyouts like Rogers-Shaw from ever happening again. And that goal is only possible because of your support.

Thank you for your support 

From your influence on C-11 to promising new developments on wholesale rates, we’ve made real change possible as a community in such a short time. And there is much more just around the corner. But none of it is possible without YOU. Your donations, youractions, and your support mean that we are able to make rapid and effective change at every level of decision-making in our government and beyond. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Thank you for being a member of the OpenMedia community. Thank you for everything that you do.

Sincerely,

Your OpenMedia Team