Weekly News (August 6, 2019)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

 

Communications Governance Observatory Monthly Podcast Series

Podcast Episode 8: Platform Regulation Part 1 with Dr. Tamara Shepherd (17 min)

Podcast Episode 9: Platform Regulation Part 2 with Dr. Tamara Shepherd (17 min)

Canadian News (July 30-August 5, 2019)

• [ISP REGULATION] CRTC introduces new code of conduct for internet providers (Global News)
• [WIRELESS REGULATION] CRTC asks wireless companies to stop offering three-year financing option (Star)
• [BROADCASTING REGULATION] Opinion: The Bell-Quebecor rivalry just got more interesting (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCAST/TELECOM/PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Menzies: Stop trying to stuff the internet in our decades-old regulatory policies (Financial Post]
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS/PRIVACY] Data-driven elections and the key questions about voter surveillance (CP)
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS] Who is seeing political ads on Facebook? (Globe and Mail)
• [HATE SPEECH] Hate in Hamilton: can the city ban hateful protests from city hall? (Spectator)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Ottawa to launch ‘patent collective’ pilot to give Canadian innovators better IP protection (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Most Canadians worry about privacy, poll shows (Star)
• [PRIVACY] Privacy commissioner opens investigation into Capital One data breach (Spectator)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Class-action lawsuit launched in Vancouver over Capital One Breach (CP/Star)
• [SMART CITIES] Sidewalk agrees to escape hatch (Star)

International News (July 30-August 5, 2019)

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] FTC Antitrust Probe of Facebook Scrutinizes Acquisitions—Sources (WSJ)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: It’s time to move fast and break up Facebook (Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Trump accuses Google of anti-conservative bias without providing evidence (Washington Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Online war over hate speech rages as defiant 8chan is knocked offline (Washington Post)
• [HATE SPEECH / PLATFORM REGULATION] Legal shield for websites rattles under onslaught of hate speech (NYT)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] FCC cable vote could affect public access (Washington Post)
• [WIRELESS REGULATION] Texas Joins Fight to Block T-Mobile-Sprint Merger (WSJ)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION/STREAMING/COPYRIGHT] CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox Sue to Stop Locast, a Free Streaming Service (NYT)
• [COPYRIGHT] Katy Perry’s lawyer calls Dark Horse copyright verdict ‘a travesty of justice’ (Independent)
• [COPYRIGHT] Streaming music may make cases like Katy Perry’s more common (CTV)
• [CRYPTOCURRENCY REGULATION] Facebook’s Libra plans are under fire again—this time form global privacy regulators (CNCBC)
• [DEFAMATION] Appeals court revives Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against New York Times (CNN)
• [DEFAMATION] Opinion: An Originalist Libel Defense (WSJ)
• [NATIONAL DEFENSE] Wary of Amazon, president disrupts DOD contract (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Apple will stop using contractors to analyze Siri (Washington Post)

Press Releases and Decisions (July 30-August 5, 2019)

Canadian Heritage

• Government of Canada supports Nametwaawin: Land and Language project
• The Government of Canada Supports Folklorama and Other Festivals in Manitoba
• Backgrounder – The Government of Canada Supports Folklorama and Other Festivals in Manitoba
• The Government of Canada Announces Support for a Festival Celebrating Diversity in Toronto

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

• Canada has formally ratified the Patent Law Treaty

Copyright Board of Canada

• Retransmission of Distant Television Signals (2014-2018)
  Reasons (August 2, 2019)
  Tariff (August 3, 2019)

CRTC

News Releases:

• CRTC will examine recent 36 month wireless device financing plans
• CRTC Internet Code to offer new customer rights to Canadians
• Broadcasting decision 2019-273
  [2019-07-31 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Native Communication Inc. – Thompson and Dauphin, Manitoba – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CINC-FM
• Telecom order 2019-272
  [2019-07-31 11:00:00]
  Streamlined Order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Rogers Communications Canada Inc. TN 61 and TN 61A
• Broadcasting decision 2019-271
  [2019-07-31 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Vista Radio Ltd. – Espanola (0ntario) – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the English-language commercial radio station CJJM-FM Espanola – APPROVED – Application to amend the condition of licence with regard to Canadian content development – DENIED – Application to amend the condition of licence regarding the broadcast of musical selections drawn from content category 3 (Special Interest Music)
• Broadcasting decision 2019-270
  [2019-07-31 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Vista Radio Ltd. – Barry’s Bay (Ontario) – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the English-language commercial radio station CHBY-FM Barry’s Bay and to amend a condition of licence related to Canadian content development
• Broadcasting decision 2019-268
  [2019-07-30 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Bell Media Inc. – Across Canada – Application to delete 28 analog rebroadcasting transmitters from Bell Media’s broadcasting licences for various over-the-air television stations across Canada.
• Broadcasting decision 2019-267
  [2019-07-30 11:00:00]
  RENEWED – Bell ExpressVu Inc. (the general partner) and Bell Canada (the limited partner), carrying on business as Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership; Star Choice Television Network Incorporated; Shaw Satellite Services Inc. – Across Canada – Renewal of the broadcasting licences for the direct to home distribution undertakings operated by Bell ExpressVu Inc. (the general partner) and Bell Canada (the limited partner), carrying on business as Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership (Bell ExpressVu) and Star Choice Television Network Incorporated as well as the satellite relay distribution undertakings operated by Bell ExpressVu and Shaw Satellite Services Inc. from 1 September 2019 to 30 November 2019

Policy Announcements:

• 2019-269 – The Internet Code – Public record: 1011-NOC2018-0422

Elections Canada

• Registered Political Parties’ Second Quarter Financial Returns for 2019 Now Online

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada looking for small businesses’ help to process audio and video recordings
• Rural communities in Manitoba will benefit from faster Internet
• Minister Bains announces support to help Canadians turn innovative ideas into job-creating businesses
• Government of Canada invests in information technology to improve accessibility

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Joint international statement on global privacy expectations of the Libra network
• OPC publishes tips to help Canadians stay safe on social media
• OPC launches investigation into Capital One breach
• Retaining only what is necessary for as long as necessary can reduce impact should a privacy breach occur

Amazon

• How Amazon Rekognition helps in the fight against some of the worst types of crime

Apple

• Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2019 third quarter ended June 29, 2019.

Facebook

• Open-Sourcing Photo- and Video-Matching Technology to Make the Internet Safer

Microsoft

• Signs of progress on broadband mapping, but more work still to do
• Beyond overhead: What drives donor support in the digital era

Twitter

• Guest Post: Emily Drewry discusses Forbes’ data-driven Twitter strategy

Upcoming Events

Senate of Canada

• No fixed and possible Senate sitting days this week; Senate reconvenes on September 17, 2019

Canadian House of Commons

• No fixed and possible House of Commons sitting days this week; House reconvenes on September 16, 2019

Innovation, Science and Economic Development

• Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 3500 MHz Band

CRTC

Broadcasting Decisions:

• Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for various radio stations
• Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for various television stations

Telecom Decision:

• CISC Business Process Working Group – Dispute regarding the inclusion of comparisons between retail and wholesale high-speed access service providers’ performance on certain quality of service indicators as a non-consensus item in a report
  File number: 1011-NOC2017-0049

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• September
  To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-225. View hearing documents (2019-225)

 

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings