Bill C-9 Signals a New Era of Speech Control in Canada

Most Canadians still believe their country protects open debate. They trust that the right to speak, question and disagree remains part of the national identity. Bill C-9 forces a hard realization. Canada is now entering a phase where the government can quietly manage what people see, hear and ultimately think.

This change did not arrive with public debate. It arrived through a bill described as a simple update to broadcasting law. Yet inside the fine print sits a new system of digital oversight that future governments can expand without limit.

Bill C-9 marks the moment when speech in Canada moves from an open public square to a regulated digital environment. It is the beginning of a structural shift that few citizens understand, and fewer were ever asked to approve.

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Bill C-9 is described as a modern update to broadcasting law. The truth runs deeper. The bill expands the authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. It empowers the regulator to decide what content receives visibility online and what does not.

Digital platforms will be required to evaluate material through a sixty point scoring system that classifies whether it qualifies as Canadian enough and responsible enough to be promoted. This is not simply cultural protection. It is a framework for guiding what voices rise to the surface and what voices disappear quietly under the weight of administrative rules.

Whenever a system gives a regulator the ability to elevate some viewpoints and suppress others, the country enters dangerous territory. That process rarely begins with dramatic moves. It begins with language about safety, risk and responsibility. Bill C-9 is built with that language.

Bill C-9 did not appear in isolation. It matches a growing international trend toward digital oversight and narrative management.

The United Nations called for stronger information partnerships in Agenda 2030, encouraging governments to work closely with technology platforms to address what it described as misinformation. No clear definition was provided. The term was left to interpretation.

The International Monetary Fund published papers in 2022 and 2023 describing digital identity and central bank digital currency as essential for modern governance. These systems create detailed trails of digital footprints that can be monitored, regulated and evaluated.

The World Economic Forum warned of information disorder in its 2023 Global Risks Report and encouraged governments and platforms to elevate approved sources while down-ranking others.

These ideas influence national policies across the world. They shape how countries design their speech laws and how regulators view their responsibilities. Canada is not exempt from these pressures.

The CRTC has already stated that its role includes ensuring online platforms contribute to what it calls a safe digital environment. Safety is an important concept but it becomes a problem when it is used without clear boundaries. In practice, safety becomes a justification for broad regulatory power.

The flow of global ideas into local institutions is simple. International bodies create direction. National governments adopt the ideas. Regulators give them legal force. Citizens often discover the consequences only after the system is already in place.

With Bill C-9, the CRTC now occupies the most powerful position in this chain. It decides how digital information is evaluated and what content earns visibility. This introduces a form of speech management that Canada has never seen before in modern times.

Canada is not acting alone. Laws in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and parts of the United States are moving in the same direction. Governments are redefining what counts as responsible communication. Platforms are pressured to suppress content that does not align with official guidance. Regulators gain new powers over public discourse.

The pattern is consistent. Instead of open conversation, societies drift toward curated conversation. Instead of unfiltered public debate, they see algorithmic mediation. Instead of individual judgment, they see institutional oversight.

Bill C-9 positions Canada directly inside this global pattern.

Peter left Canada in 2019 because he saw the direction these trends were taking. In the years that followed, governments accelerated digital identity programs, expanded centralized infrastructure, and built regulatory systems designed to monitor and shape information. Bill C-9 is the point where those developments become formal. It creates a gateway that links information control to political authority. Once such a gateway exists, it rarely stays small. It grows.

The danger is not simply what the bill says today. The danger is what future governments could do with the authority it creates.

When speech is filtered, truth becomes whatever the regulator allows to reach the public. When visibility is controlled, dissent loses its platform. When content is ranked, approved and prioritized by government frameworks, individuals lose the freedom to access information independently.

We write during a moment when Canadians still have the ability to question these changes. That window narrows when systems like Bill C-9 become normal and accepted. Silence becomes easier. Compliance becomes expected. Regulation becomes culture.

Our combined experience in finance, risk and geopolitical analysis has taught us that power rarely arrives suddenly. It moves in gradual steps. One rule is introduced. Then another. Then another. Before long, a framework that once felt temporary becomes permanent.

Bill C-9 is one of those early steps. It is not an endpoint. It is the beginning of a longer process.

We explored this pattern in our international bestseller It Starts With Gold. We warned that information systems and financial systems would eventually converge. We warned that global institutional frameworks would influence national laws. We warned that individuals needed to prepare long before these shifts reached full strength.

Those warnings are unfolding now.

If Canadians do not speak up, the country will move further into a model where public communication is curated by global frameworks and enforced by national regulators.

The result is predictable. Digital identity, centralized currency, information filters and speech scoring systems create a world where individuals are visible, trackable and governable through every choice they make. Once these systems align, independence becomes harder to maintain.

It loses it piece by piece. A small rule here. A harmless guideline there. One new rating system. One new regulator mandate. One new definition of safety. People adapt to each step until the entire structure around them has quietly changed shape.

Bill C-9 is one of those critical steps. Once information is filtered through government-supervised scoring systems, people no longer control what they learn about their own country. When digital visibility becomes a privilege instead of a right, the public narrative becomes something managed rather than discovered.

A society that cannot speak freely cannot think freely. And a society that cannot think freely cannot remain free for long.

The signs are here now. They are visible for anyone willing to look. Canada is shifting toward a model where speech passes through layers of evaluation, approval and visibility control. Individuals who prepare early will maintain their independence while others adjust to a world shaped by digital oversight.

Bill C-9 shows how quickly systems can shift when governments expand regulatory power. When information control grows, financial control often follows. This is why Canadians must build stability outside structures that can change without notice.

This is why our work is focused on helping Canadians build certainty outside systems that can change without warning. Speech frameworks can tighten. Digital identity systems can expand. Financial control structures can grow quietly behind the scenes. But individuals who build resilience through real assets remain harder to control.

Our team helps clients strengthen their wealth using the framework we call Owning Assets in Order of Asset Security. This approach prioritizes the most secure assets first and protects those that are most vulnerable, creating a foundation that remains reliable even when digital systems tighten.

1. 1. 1. Gold and precious metals that hold real, tangible value. These assets stand outside the financial system and act as the anchor when currencies weaken.
      2. Alternative investments that reduce systemic risk. This includes private real estate, private credit, and other non-public assets that generate income without relying fully on public markets.
      3. Private portfolio management that lowers counterparty exposure. Professional discretionary managers provide oversight, structure, and discipline while reducing reliance on mass-market institutions.
      4. Mutual life insurance instruments that protect capital and individuals. These contracts preserve value, create stability, and offer tax-advantaged growth and estate benefits.

In It Starts With Gold, we explain how these four pillars work together as a unified structure that protects families through political, economic and digital uncertainty. Each pillar serves a specific purpose. Precious metals preserve purchasing power. Alternative investments diversify income. Private portfolio management maintains oversight. Mutual life insurance strengthens capital protection.

Combined, they form a resilient base that helps individuals stay secure when broader systems become less predictable.

These are the same principles we follow ourselves and the same framework we use to help clients transition from a vulnerable position to a more independent one.

👉 Book Your Complimentary Review to learn how to structure your wealth around the Four Pillars of Asset Security.

We cannot decide for you. We can only share what decades of experience have taught us. The rest is in your hands.

The themes in this article connect directly to It Starts With Gold, co-authored by Peter J. Merrick, TEP® and Adrian C. Spitters, CFP®. The book reveals how to build a tangible-asset foundation, measure risk across digital and financial systems and protect yourself from the growing pressures of centralized oversight. Visit www.ItStartsWithGold.com.

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1. Government of Canada – Bill C-9 (Online Harms Act / Broadcasting Act Amendments)
2. CRTC: Role and Mandate
3. CRTC – Online Safety & Digital Regulation Framework
4. UN Agenda 2030 – Sustainable Development Goals (Official Document)
5. UN “Decade of Action” – Digital Acceleration Statement (2020)
6. UN Reports on Misinformation & Digital Platforms
7. IMF: Digital Identity, Digital Money & CBDC (2022 Report)
8. IMF: Central Bank Digital Currency – Policy and Regulatory Papers (2023)
9. WEF Global Risks Report 2023
10. WEF – “Information Disorder” & Misinformation Frameworks
11. World Bank – Digital Public Infrastructure & Digital ID Systems
12. OECD – Policies on Digital Platforms & Moderation
13. Government of Canada – Digital Charter (Foundational Document)
14. Government of Canada – National Digital Identity Initiatives

This publication is for general information and educational purposes only. It discusses public policy, digital governance, economic trends and related systemic risks. Nothing in this article constitutes financial, legal, tax or investment advice, nor should it be interpreted as a recommendation to buy or sell any asset, security or real estate.

The views expressed reflect professional observations based on publicly available information at the time of writing. These views may change as legislation, regulation or market conditions evolve. The scenarios described are illustrative and are not predictions.

Readers should consult qualified professionals who can assess their personal situation, objectives and risk tolerance before making any financial or legal decisions. All assets carry risk, and outcomes can change with shifts in policy, interest rates or global markets.

The authors provide professional services only through their regulated affiliations. Nothing in this publication constitutes personalized guidance to any individual or entity.