The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, May 22, edition that the Quebec government has introduced a bill to require streaming services like Netflix and Spotify to increase French-language content. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that the legislation would set quotas for francophone music, films and series, ensuring that this content is more visible and accessible. Quebec Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe called it a measure to protect francophone culture from being overshadowed by large streaming platforms. He told reporters: "We can't choose something that isn't offered to us. We can't like something we don't know. And access to our culture, to films, to TV series, to songs in French, it must be easy, it must be simple when we're in Quebec." He said that of the 10,000 most-streamed songs in Quebec in 2023, only 5 per cent were French-language titles from the province. The legislation introduced in the provincial legislature on Wednesday aims to enshrine the right to access French-language cultural content in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. It would also enable the government to set requirements for the amount of original French-language content on digital platforms.
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