Weekly News (September 24, 2018)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

Canadian News (Sept. 17-23, 2018)

• [PRIVACY] Liberals won’t put federal parties under privacy laws (Star)
• [CYBER SECURITY] No need to ban Huawei in light of Canada’s robust cybersecurity safeguards, top official says (Globe and Mail)
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS] B.C. will review third-party election ad rules, based on ‘experience’ of civic election (Star)
• [COPYRIGHT] Bryan Adams calls for changes to Canada’s copyright laws to help artists (Globe and Mail)

 

International News (Sept. 17-23, 2018)

• [PLATFORM REGULATION; PRIVACY] EU getting ‘impatient’ with Facebook over consumer data use(National Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION; PRIVACY] Google defends g-mail data-sharing policies but gives few details on violations (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Facial Recognition Goes Mainstream (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Facebook and Financial Firms Tussled for Years Over Access to User Data (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] New Pressure on Google and YouTube Over Children’s Data (NYT)

 

Press Releases and Decisions (Sept. 17-23, 2018)

House of Commons – Canadian Heritage (CHPC) Committee

• Report: Moving Forward – Towards A Stronger Canadian Museum Sector

CRTC

• Chris MacDonald to the annual conference of the Canadian Communications Systems Alliance

Copyright Board of Canada

• The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development announced on September 17, 2018, the appointment of two new Members at the Copyright Board. Ms. Nathalie Théberge was appointed as Vice-Chair and Chief Executive Office

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

• OPC’s ATIP Annual Reports tabled in Parliament: Sept. 18, 2018, the OPC’s Access to Information Act Annual Report and Privacy Act Annual Report were tabled in Parliament. Prepared by the OPC’s Director of ATIP and Chief Privacy Officer, these two annual reports describe how our office, like other departments and agencies subject to federal access and privacy laws, fulfilled its responsibilities under the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act in 2017-2018.

Microsoft

• Millions use Microsoft’s GDPR privacy tools to control their data — including 2 million Americans

Facebook

• Expanding Security Tools to Protect Political Campaigns
• Q&A on Upcoming US and Brazil Elections

Upcoming Events

Senate of Canada

• Planned and possible Senate sitting days this week: Sep. 24-28
• National Security and Defence

o   September 24, 2018 1:00 PM: Canada’s national security and defence policies, practices, circumstances and capabilities

o   Martin Bélanger, Director, Public Alerting (Pelmorex Weather Networks (Television) Inc.)

o   Kurt Eby, Director, Regulatory and Government Relations (Pelmorex Weather Networks (Television) Inc.)

o   Eric Bowles, Legal Counsel (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission)

o   Ken MacDonald, Executive Director, National Programs & Business Development(Environment and Climate Change Canada)

o   Scott Shortliffe, Chief Consumer Officer and Executive Director (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission)

o   Patrick Tanguy, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and Programs (Public Safety Canada)

o   Consideration of a draft report

 

• Transport and Communications

o   September 25, 2018 9:30 AM: Study on the modernization of Canadian communications legislation, Konrad von Finckenstein, former chair, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (As an Individual)

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned House of Commons sitting days this week: Sep. 24-28
• ETHI: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

o   September 25, 2018 11:00 AM: Breach of Personal Information Involving Cambridge Analytica and Facebook

• INDU: Industry, Science and Technology – Committee Business and Statutory Review of the Copyright Act: Sep 24 & 26

Government of Canada Consultations

• September 11, 2018 – September 25, 2018: Canada’s Third Biennial Plan to the Open Government Partnership 2016-2018: End-of-term self-assessment report

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• National Digital and Data Consultations

 

CRTC

• Anticipated releases for the week of 24 to 28 September 2018
• Broadcasting Decision:

o   Decision relating to the following application considered under the Commission’sPart 1 process:

Durham Radio Inc.
Haldimand, Ontario
CHTG-FM Haldimand County – Licence amendment
Public record for this application: 2018-0133-2

• Telecom Regulatory Policy:

o   Development of the Commission’s Broadband Fund
Public record: 1011-NOC2017-0112

 

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings