The Quebec Government is planning to create and implement a law that will soon enforce the blocking of access to different gambling websites. This new law is possibly illegal, according to internet law expert, Michael Geist. The plans will create a list of sites that will be deemed illegal to access and the hope is to improve revenue at a corporation that currently runs the lotteries and casinos in Quebec, Lotto-Quebec.
Michael Geist, the expert on internet law, states that the new law could be illegal because viewing websites is not against the law, though gambling online may be illegal for Quebec residents. Once the government has the ability to block website related to gambling, it will be simple for it to also block sites that are infringing copyright or even blocking sites that are not paying any provincial taxes.
The law may be challenged in courts as all telecommunications regulations fall under jurisdiction of the federal government, not local. However, Quebec will probably counter that there is a right to enforce protection laws for online gambling under their jurisdiction.
The new blocking law as well as an internet service tax are both part of a newly announced provincial budget that was just introduced.