Quebec’s National Assembly unanimously adopted Bill 109 on December 11, 2025, establishing a framework for the province to set minimum French-language content requirements on digital platforms such as Netflix and Spotify. The legislation leaves specific thresholds to future regulations rather than imposing an immediate quota.
The Canadian Press reported that regulations specifying the quantity or proportion of French-language content required on platforms were expected within 18 months. No percentage had been announced.
Quebec’s government says the law is intended to improve access to French-language culture and its visibility online. Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe has argued that younger audiences have difficulty finding French-language works on major platforms.
Requirements extend beyond streaming catalogues
The legislation introduces a right to discover and access cultural content originally created in French into Quebec’s human rights charter. According to the culture ministry, the framework covers platforms offering online music, other audio and audiovisual services. Its equipment provisions cover manufacturers of televisions and devices intended to connect to televisions that enable access to online viewing services.
The ministry says regulations can require manufacturers to make certain viewing platforms that predominantly offer original French-language content available and prominent on smart televisions and connected devices.
The Canadian Press reported that companies unable to comply could negotiate alternative measures with the government to meet the law’s objectives and obtain exemptions from certain obligations. It also reported that the legislation provides for fines of up to $15,000 per day for non-compliance.
The culture ministry plans to establish a Bureau de la découvrabilité des contenus culturels to oversee compliance with the law and its regulations. The framework requires a report every three years, according to The Canadian Press.
Music streaming group raises concerns
The Digital Media Association, which represents major music streaming services, said in a December 11 statement that regulatory uncertainty surrounding Bill 109 could affect choice, access and affordability. The association called for the government to address those concerns when drafting the regulations.
DIMA cited a Léger survey it commissioned in which 66% of respondents said the government should not influence which music is available on streaming services, while 61% said French-language music was already easy to find. The survey used Léger’s online panel and covered 1,016 Quebec residents aged 18 and older on October 24–25, 2025.
Social media scope and constitutional objections
In an analysis published on his website, Michael Geist reported that amendments to the bill removed an explicit exemption for social media services. He argued that the change could bring services carrying user-generated audio and video within the scope of content quotas and discoverability requirements, with specific obligations to be set through regulations.
According to Geist’s account of the committee proceedings, Lacombe said he did not currently intend to regulate social media users but wanted to retain the ability to regulate services offering audio or video.
Geist also challenged the bill’s constitutionality in a June analysis. He cited federal jurisdiction over broadcasting and argued that the legal treatment of internet streaming would be central to whether Quebec’s framework could coexist with federal regulation under the Online Streaming Act.