Federal employees streamed terabytes of Netflix while at work
New documents reveal the federal government banned Netflix, and other streaming services last year after discovering employees were streaming terabytes of entertainment while at work.
New documents reveal the federal government banned Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming services last year after discovering employees were streaming terabytes of entertainment while at work.
The documents shared with CBC News included network usage reports from September 2024, just before the streaming ban came into effect.
While Shared Services Canada had publicly claimed at the time that “network traffic monitoring shows limited traffic” to streaming websites, the internal report indicates that thousands of hours of streaming were still taking place across multiple departments.
Public Services and Procurement Canada, for instance, registered nearly three terabytes of monthly traffic to streaming sites, equivalent to 3,000 hours of standard video.
The Privy Council Office had about 1.5 terabytes, while Global Affairs Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (East), and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada were among 10 departments that reported about 0.75 terabytes each.
Shared Services Canada, the agency responsible for IT matters across the federal bureaucracy, banned access to several video streaming platforms in December 2024, affecting 45 government departments and agencies. At the time, SSC said the platforms had “no business value” but did not indicate how much bandwidth was being used by employees.
The SSC president, Scott Jones, described the streaming pattern as “a people management issue” in an October 2024 email obtained by CBC.
“While streaming may ultimately impact the bandwidth available to the (Government of Canada), it is also more importantly a people management issue,” Jones wrote in a message to Treasury Board officials. “In the current context and with public perception of the public service as it is, there is value in engaging (ministers) on these issues and in committing SSC to take some action.”
That exchange followed a meeting of deputy ministers where the use of streaming services in federal offices was reportedly discussed. Not long after, SSC moved to block platforms such as Hulu, Disney+, Crave, Apple TV+, and other entertainment streaming services.
The decision to ban streaming comes at a time when the public service is perceived negatively by Canadians, especially during periods of relaxed return-to-office policies and increasing size.
According to a Leger poll from last year, a plurality of Canadians want to shrink the bureaucracy.
No wonder these leeches that thrive only because of taxpayers, are fighting so hard to continue to "work" from home. Imagine what goes on there that we pay for.
Your tax dollars at work. What shameful attitudes that they think they can waste time while on the clock racking up pensions and all kinds of benefits. Fire the lot of them.