The extent to which Canada has slid into an authoritarian socialist state is startling. On Sunday, businessman and self-proclaimed free speech absolutist Elon Musk took Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to task for that slide.
Posting on his X platform, which was formerly known as Twitter, Musk said “Trudeau is trying to crush free speech in Canada. Shameful.”
He wrote this in response to a X posting by U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald. The reporter declared the Canadian government is rolling out one of the “most repressive online censorship schemes.”
Incredibly, all streaming services that operate within the nation and offer podcasts will be required to “formally register with the government to permit regulatory controls.”
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) rolled out its new regulatory plan on Friday. This is pushed under the guise of “modernizing” the country’s broadcasting.
If by “modernizing” it means to bring free speech under the strict control of the government, then mission accomplished.
Trudeau is trying to crush free speech in Canada. Shameful. https://t.co/oHFFvyBGxu
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2023
The government claimed the changes will “ensure online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content.” Initially the new regulations will apply to those producing a revenue stream of more than $10 million.
This announcement came at nearly the same time that President Joe Biden told an interviewer that Musk’s purchase of X contributed to “misinformation.”
The Democrat complained that people get their news online and “have no notion whether it is true or not.”
Not all Canadians are happy with the latest government overreach under the autocratic Trudeau. Many will never forgive his draconian response to peaceful truck drivers who protested the government’s COVID-19 overreach.
The prime minister took several sinister actions to dislodge the demonstrators, including freezing their personal bank accounts and blocking donations to their cause under the nation’s anti-terror law.
Public comment on the new regulations lasts until after the new year, but with Canada’s recent trends, it is all but certain to be enshrined into law. Many justifiably wonder if the protocols will be used to suppress online activities that are not favored by the leftist regime.
If recent history is any guide, they have plenty of reason to be concerned. The Trudeau government has repeatedly proven itself to be the enemy of civil liberties.
