The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has announced it will no longer enforce Canadian content quotas on the pornography industry. This change is part of a recent update to the CRTC's guidelines, which states that adult programming will no longer require certification as Canadian content.

The CRTC's previous regulations mandated that any program depicting explicit sexual activity must meet specific criteria to be classified as Canadian. This included a complex points system that required producers and at least one lead performer to prove Canadian citizenship, as well as ensuring that at least 75% of the financing came from Canadian sources. In some cases, this meant that a video featuring a Canadian couple in Canada could fail to qualify as Canadian content if the financing did not meet the required threshold.

In 2014, several Canadian pornography channels faced potential license revocation due to insufficient Canadian content. The CRTC had required these channels to broadcast a minimum of 8.5 hours of Canadian erotica each day. However, the recent bulletin from the CRTC indicates that broadcasters generally agreed that adult content should be exempt from Canadian content quotas.

Despite this consensus, the decision has drawn criticism from some industry figures. Canadian adult filmmaker Kate Sinclaire, who produces content in Winnipeg, expressed her concerns to the CRTC. She stated that exempting adult programming from Canadian designation could negatively impact creative workers, film training, and public perception of sex workers. Sinclaire warned that this change could also lead to monopolistic practices and potential legal challenges based on jurisdiction and the Charter of Rights.

This decision comes as the CRTC is also working on implementing new regulations under the Online Streaming Act, which became law in 2023. This act extends Canadian content requirements to online platforms, including popular services like YouTube and Netflix. The CRTC has the authority to adjust algorithms to promote federally certified Canadian content, which could have implications for adult streaming platforms as well. Notably, PornHub, the most-visited Canadian website, is based in Montreal and could be affected by these new regulations.

The Online Streaming Act could have imposed Canadian content quotas on adult websites and required compliance with other CRTC mandates, such as closed captioning and representation of Indigenous languages and ethnicities among performers. The implications of these changes are still unfolding as the CRTC navigates the evolving landscape of online content regulation.