The “private, off-the-record” livestreamed event for MPs, senators and their staff promised to answer questions like, “How exactly do open platforms work, and do Canadians really make it big on YouTube?” It featured engineering VP Cristos Goodrow and Canadian YouTubers Lilly Singh and Brandon Gonez. (The Logic)
Talking point: The Liberal government has promised a bill this winter to enforce Canadian content standards on big streaming platforms. Google, YouTube’s parent, opposed a previous attempt, on the grounds that if other countries followed suit, Canadian creators would be disadvantaged. “As Canada considers ways to modernize broadcasting reform, we created an opportunity for parliamentarians to learn more about our systems and hear directly from Canadian creators on the value of YouTube’s openness, and how that openness is key to their success,” spokesperson Lauren Skelly told The Logic in reference to the event, which was first reported by iPolitics. She did not answer a question about whether the company would treat this event as a lobbying activity. A handful of MPs The Logic asked said they’d be too busy to take part.