Federal employees can no longer stream Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming services while on the job.
Shared Services Canada (SSC), the government agency responsible for providing IT services, confirmed in an email that it blocked streaming sites on all networks it controls late last year.
With some exceptions, Canada Shared Services oversees the majority of government networks.
The agency said it made the decision because streaming services are not necessary for federal officials to perform their duties.
Shared Services said in a statement that traffic from government systems to streaming sites was “limited” and the impact was “minor.”
He also said that some departments already block paid subscription streaming sites, and this is part of Canada Shared Services’ decision to ban them on all networks it manages.
“Although network traffic monitoring shows that traffic from government systems to these sites is limited and the impact on network bandwidth usage is negligible, streaming services are not considered work tools. “No business value for the Government of Canada,” the statement said.
It applies to all departments that provide network services, as well as government Wi-Fi, employees, visitors, and non-government users accessing the Internet on government premises.
In mid-November, some federal employees received an email notification alerting them to the ban. The complete list of blocked websites includes Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, AppleTV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Crave, and the ban went into effect on December 2, 2024.
YouTube, Facebook and other social media sites will remain available to government employees.
