An appeal to Canadians to reconsider where they watch, share, and publish their videos.
Canadians have a peculiar habit of celebrating Canadian innovation while simultaneously handing most of their digital business to American technology giants. We complain about American influence, criticize American corporations, and frequently express our determination to support Canadian businesses. Yet when it comes time to choose the digital platforms we use every day, we often default to the same familiar American companies without giving the alternatives much consideration.
YouTube is a perfect example. It has become so thoroughly embedded in our daily lives that many people no longer think of it as a business. They think of it as the internet’s video library, a place where virtually everything can be found, from breaking news and political commentary to cooking demonstrations, home renovations, and videos of grandchildren playing in the backyard.
But YouTube is not the only game in town, and Canadians have a particularly interesting alternative worth exploring.
It’s called Rumble, and it has Canadian roots.
A Canadian Entrepreneur Took on the Giants
Rumble was founded in 2013 by Canadian entrepreneur Chris Pavlovski, who set out to build an alternative to the established online video platforms. What began as a Canadian technology venture has grown into an internationally recognized video-sharing and streaming business.
To be precise, Rumble Inc. is now a publicly traded company incorporated in Delaware, with its principal executive offices in Florida. Nevertheless, its origins are Canadian, its founder is Canadian, and its predecessor company was established in Ontario. It is a legitimate example of Canadian entrepreneurship developing into an international technology business. SEC
That distinction is worth appreciating because Canada has produced many successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and technology companies, yet we often seem reluctant to recognize them until they achieve success somewhere else.
Rumble deserves consideration on its own merits, not simply because its founder happens to be Canadian.
Do We Really Need to Depend on YouTube?
I have nothing against Americans developing successful businesses, and I certainly don’t object to Canadians using American products. I use plenty of them myself. But I do question why we have become so dependent on a relatively small collection of technology companies that dominate our access to information, communication, and entertainment.
Competition is healthy, particularly when the companies involved have substantial influence over what people can publish, how their material is distributed, and whether their work generates revenue.
Rumble provides another option.
It allows people to upload videos, establish channels, build audiences, and distribute content through their own websites. Creators can also choose nonexclusive licensing arrangements that permit them to publish the same material elsewhere, including YouTube. Rumble FAQ
That last point is particularly important. Supporting Rumble does not require abandoning YouTube.
You can use both.
You can watch videos on both platforms, maintain accounts on both platforms, and, if you’re a content creator, publish your original videos on both platforms, subject to the licensing arrangements you select.
There is no requirement to declare allegiance to one technology company and swear eternal hostility toward another.
Sometimes the most sensible way to support competition is simply to use the competition.
Patriotism Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
Over the past several years, Canadians have become increasingly vocal about supporting Canadian businesses. We’ve seen campaigns encouraging people to buy Canadian products, support Canadian agriculture, shop at Canadian retailers, and reconsider their dependence on American suppliers.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that sentiment. Supporting Canadian enterprise can be a perfectly reasonable expression of national pride.
But why should that sentiment end at the grocery store?
Why shouldn’t we give serious consideration to technology businesses with Canadian roots, particularly when they offer services that compete with some of the largest corporations in the world?
Many Canadians have strong opinions about American politics, American corporations, and the influence of American technology companies. Some are particularly outspoken in their criticism of Donald Trump and the direction of American politics.
That’s their right, and they are certainly entitled to those opinions.
However, regardless of where we stand politically, there is an interesting contradiction in demanding greater Canadian independence while automatically relying on American technology platforms for nearly everything we do online.
If we believe competition, independence, and Canadian entrepreneurship are important, shouldn’t those principles influence at least some of our purchasing and technology decisions?
We don’t have to turn every decision into a political statement. But we can certainly become more thoughtful about where we direct our attention, our content, and our business.
Rumble Is More Than a Political Video Platform
One misconception worth addressing is that Rumble is exclusively a platform for political commentary.
Political programming is certainly part of its identity, but the platform also accommodates material covering entertainment, education, technology, travel, hobbies, sports, lifestyle, and many other subjects.
If you enjoy producing videos about gardening, woodworking, cooking, fishing, automotive restoration, or traveling throughout British Columbia, Rumble can provide another place to share them.
For local businesses, community organizations, and independent publishers, it also offers a practical video-hosting option.
A business can publish a product demonstration or instructional video on Rumble and embed it directly into its own website. Community organizations can publish presentations, interviews, and educational programming without maintaining their own video-hosting infrastructure. Rumble FAQ
These are practical applications that have nothing to do with political ideology.
Indeed, I would encourage people with differing political opinions to participate. A platform that accommodates a broad range of legitimate expression is far more useful than one that appeals to only a narrow segment of the population.
Rumble has its own terms of service and community standards, as any legitimate video platform must. Supporting alternative platforms should never be confused with advocating an absence of reasonable rules.
An Opportunity for Our Communities
Here in the Okanagan, we have no shortage of people producing interesting material.
Local photographers capture extraordinary scenery. Residents document community events, festivals, and outdoor activities. Businesses produce promotional videos, residents record public meetings, and individuals share their experiences living in one of the most beautiful regions of Canada.
Much of that material eventually finds its way onto YouTube or Facebook, frequently because those are the platforms everyone already knows.
Perhaps it’s time to broaden our horizons.
There is no reason that a local videographer, business owner, community organization, or resident couldn’t establish a Rumble channel and begin developing an additional audience.
For people who already have videos on YouTube, Rumble confirms that previously published videos can also be uploaded to its platform, provided the creator has the necessary rights. That means years of existing material can potentially be made available to another audience without producing anything new. Rumble FAQ
And for anyone who operates a website, Rumble videos can be embedded directly into articles and webpages, making it relatively straightforward to incorporate video into an existing publishing operation.
There may also be opportunities for local government coverage, community interviews, historical documentaries, educational programming, and the preservation of community events.
The possibilities extend well beyond politics.
You Don’t Have to Leave YouTube to Support Something Different
I am not suggesting that everyone should immediately delete their YouTube accounts, abandon Google, or refuse to watch another American-produced video.
That would be neither practical nor necessary.
What I am suggesting is considerably simpler.
The next time you want to watch something, take a look at Rumble. If you produce videos, consider publishing them there as well. If you operate a website, investigate whether Rumble might be useful for hosting some of your video content.
And if you discover something worthwhile, share it.
The more people explore alternative platforms, the more opportunities those platforms have to improve, innovate, and compete.
Competition benefits consumers, creators, and businesses alike.
Canadian Success Should Be Something We Encourage
I find it encouraging when Canadian entrepreneurs build companies capable of competing internationally.
We frequently hear about Canada’s economic challenges, declining productivity, difficulties attracting investment, and the need to develop more successful businesses.
Yet when Canadian entrepreneurs do build something substantial, we should be willing to recognize their achievements, even when the businesses eventually expand beyond Canada.
Rumble is no longer simply a Canadian company operating out of Ontario. It has become an international business with Canadian origins, and that story deserves recognition.
Whether someone ultimately prefers Rumble or YouTube is entirely their decision. Both platforms have advantages and limitations, and neither deserves unquestioning loyalty.
But there is something to be said for giving a Canadian-founded alternative a fair opportunity to earn our business.
After all, we cannot reasonably complain about the dominance of technology giants while refusing to investigate the alternatives.
Canadian entrepreneurship deserves more than applause. It deserves consideration.
And sometimes supporting competition is as simple as opening another browser tab.
Visit Rumble.com and decide for yourself.
Editor’s Note: This article is an independent editorial encouraging readers to explore additional video-sharing platforms. Neither Summerland Gazette nor Peachland Gazette is affiliated with Rumble, and this article is not sponsored by the company.