Communications Governance in the News

Compiled by Márcio E. Gonçalves

Research Assistant, Communications Governance Lab

M.A. Candidate, Communication and New Media, McMaster University

Canadian News (April 02 – April 08, 2018)

• [PRESS FREEDOM] Supreme Court to weigh RCMP seizure of Vice News material (The Toronto Star)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Liberals name Catherine Tait as CBC president, first woman to hold role (National Post)
• [MEDIA COMPETITION] Torstar hiring 20 reporters as it revamps Metro urban dailies (Globe & Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Data of 620,000 Canadians improperly shared with consulting firm: Facebook (Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY] Canadian firm tied to Facebook data scandal got $100K from feds in 2017 (CBC News)
• [PRIVACY] RBC chief executive calls for stronger protections for consumer data (The Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Editorial: Privacy laws should apply to political parties (Toronto Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook can claim its very busy man in Ottawa is not a lobbyist. Here’s how. (Maclean’s)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Siddiqui: Why is Justin Trudeau bowing down before the U.S. internet giants? (Toronto Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Siddiqui: The seven key elements of a digital policy to protect Canadians (The Toronto Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Owen & Scott: The new rules for the internet – and why deleting Facebook isn’t enough (Globe & Mail)
•  [INTERNET POLICY] Tenove & Tworek: What Europe can teach Canada about protecting democracy (National Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Paradkar: Free speech fear-mongering is the elite equivalent of ‘It’s OK to be white’ posters (Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] Ontario’s tribunals ‘fundamentally different’ from courts, province argues (Toronto Star)
• [CRIMINAL LIBEL / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Pritchard & Taylor: In Canada, we criminalize public-interest speech (The Globe and Mail)
• [DIGITAL TAXATION] Geist: Quebec shows that taxing digital sales is easier said than done (The Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION] André Arthur’s anti-cyclist radio rant crossed line, watchdogs say (Montreal Gazette)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Canadians start getting emergency alerts on their cellphones (CTV News / CP)

International News (April 02 – April 08, 2018)

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook Backs Political Ad Bill, Sets Limits on ‘Issue Ads’ (New York Times)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] A dilemma for pro-Trump media: How to hit Facebook without dinging the president (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] What if large tech firms were regulated like sewage companies? (The Economist)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Twitter bans 270000 accounts for ‘promoting terrorism’ (Guardian)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION / HATE SPEECH] Is Germany’s bold new law a way to clean up the internet or is it stifling free expression? (The Christian Science Monitor)
• [PRIVACY] Apple, Amazon and Google Also Are Bracing for Privacy Regulations (Wall Street Journal – subscriber access)
• [PRIVACY] Facebook’s Facial Recognition Feature Violates Users’ Privacy Rights, Groups Allege (Wall Street Journal-subscriber access; Reuters also reports)
• [PRIVACY] Italy Antitrust opens probe into Facebook’s collection, use of data (Reuters)
• [PRIVACY; PRESS FREEDOM; FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] How the FBI uses the Freedom of Information Act to track down whistleblowers (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORMS] Google Employees: We work for Google. Our employer shouldn’t be in the business of war (Guardian)
• [PLATFORMS] YouTube shooting suspect nursed grudge about company’s treatment of her videos (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Artificial Intelligence Could Soon Enhance Real-Time Police Surveillance (Wall Street Journal-subscriber access)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION] The nation’s biggest conservative broadcaster is putting words in its anchors’ mouths. Critics blame the FCC. (Chicago Tribune)
• [MEDIA COMPETITION] U.S. fights AT&T deal by citing Time Warner’s clout with cable companies (Bloomberg)
• [PRESS FREEDOM, DEFAMATION] Tabloid asks court to dismiss Karen McDougal lawsuit (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM EQUITIES REGULATION] China unveils plan to lure big tech stock listings back home (Globe & Mail)

Press Releases and Decisions (April 02 – April 08, 2018)

Supreme Court of Canada

• [PRIVACY] Her Majesty the Queen v. Eric Talbot (Ontario) (Criminal) (By Leave) Crown denied an assistance order that would compel accused to provide swipe pattern required to unlock smart phone – Whether application judge misconstrued the principle against self-incrimination and erred by concluding that the assistance order would violate s. 7 of the Charter? The application for leave to appeal is dismissed for want of jurisdiction.

Canadian Heritage

• Minister Mélanie Joly is in South Korea to Discuss Cultural Diversity and Export of Creative Content

Competition Bureau Canada

• The Competition Bureau and Spectrum and Telecommunications Sector enhance cooperation
• Competition Bureau and Investment Review Division increase transparency of their communications

CRTC

• Anticipated releases for the week of 9 to 13 April 2018:

o     Broadcasting Decision:

▪     Decision relating to the following application considered under the Commission’s Part 1 process:

▪     Unifor and its Locals 723M and 830M

▪     Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic and Urban Alliance on Race Relations

▪     Complaints against Rogers Media Inc. alleging non-compliance with OMNI Regional’s third-language news requirement

▪     Public record for these applications: 2017-0975-0 and 2017-0977-6

o     Telecom Regulatory Policy:

▪     Review of the competitor quality of service regime

▪     Public record: 1011-NOC2017-0049

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada to make high-speed Internet and digital infrastructure funding announcement in Parry Sound

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• BC, federal Privacy Commissioners initiate joint investigations into AggregateIQ, Facebook
• OPC adopts a new organizational structure

Microsoft

• The CLOUD Act is an important step forward, but now more steps need to follow

Upcoming Events

Senate of Canada

• The Senate resumes Monday, April 16, 2018.

Canadian House of Commons

• The House is adjourned until Monday, April 16, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). The agenda is not available yet.

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following applications for leave to appeal will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, April 12, 2018. This list is subject to change.:

o     […][PRIVACY] Frederic Dwayne Wilson v. Her Majesty the Queen (B.C.) (Criminal) (By Leave) Charter of Rights  – Search and seizure – Reasonable expectation of privacy – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by concluding that the applicant did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the common areas of the condominium complex in which his suite was located or in the video surveillance footages of those common areas – Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s. 8.[…]

CRTC

• Public hearing: To Consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2017-365, 2017-365-1 and 2017-365-2
  View hearing documents (2017-365) (April 30, 2018 – Gatineau, Quebec)