The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal that sought to label internet service providers as broadcasters.
The court sided unanimously with a Federal Court of Appeal ruling which said the service providers are not subject to the Broadcasting Act.
The justices said these companies are simply providing access to the Internet and aren’t involved in creating or choosing content that people see online.
If, however, ISPs stopped being neutral transmitters of information and began selecting what was sent, they could risk falling under broadcasting regulations.
The CRTC referred the question to the courts in 2008.
Several groups representing actors, producers, directors and writers had argued that ISPs should be required to contribute to Canadian broadcasting just as cable and satellite companies do.
