id: ct title: Canadian Tariffs previous: mm next: conundrum date: 2025-01-21 ---

## Canadian Tariffs

On January 15th Cory Doctorow posted some thoughts on how he thought that Canada should respond if the US proceeds to levy tariffs on our exports. He sees this as an opportunity.

Most countries, Canada included, have kwotowed to the US in implementing its restrictive laws around IP, specifically DRM. Which have made it illegal almost the world over to modify computerized systems. We did this to keep trade open because on the global stage the US is the largest buyer of most things.

However with the threat of tariffs being implemented anyway why should we keep those laws on our books? Trade will be hit anyway so there is no longer a point in aquiescing to the US pressures. We can open up new industries making the tools to allow people to take back ownership of their devices. To freely repair, transact, and modify without having to pay a tax. We could have true ownership again where we actually get the final say on how anything we have bought behaves. This would benefit each of us individually with more control over our devices. It would benefit farmers who could repair their tractors, businesses who could sell useful application without app store taxes.

I am a Canadian, and I am a software developper who seems to be more sensitive than most to stuff like this. Not having control over my stuff bothers me and so I self host everything I can. I do have a few devices that I don't really trust. An Ipad that I won at a work raffle, my Android phone. Then some other stuff around the house like our Roku box. When I installed a pihole on our network and routed all the traffic through it, the largest number of blocked network requests came from that box even when it was not in use.

I have been considering buying a new phone, not because I need it. My Samsung A20 is working fine 5 years in, but in order to get a phone that is supported an alternative operating system like Calyx or Graphene OS. That battles with my desire to not waste a perfectly good device and buy things that I don't need.

I would love it if Canadian politicians took this to heart and repealed the DRM laws. I would jump at the opportunity to legally work on these problems and help my community, and hopefully many others take ownership over their devices again. I love this idea and hope that our politicians consider something like this as it offers another option not dependent on the US going forward.