Weekly News (September 3, 2019)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

Communications Governance Observatory Podcast

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)

(August 27-September 2, 2019)

Canadian News

• [TELECOM REGULATION] Opinion: Major telecom players shouldn’t be using rural Canadians as pawns (Globe and Mail)
• [FILM/BROADCAST/CANCON] TIFF: Netflix and streaming means Canadian feature films struggle to find audiences (CP)
• [TECH REGULATION] No more free rides for Big Tech, heritage minister says (Star)
• [COPYRIGHT] Registry aims to help Indigenous artists protect work (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Big telecoms consider appeal to CRTC internet ruling (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Opinion: Your face is the key. Don’t give it to strangers (Globe and Mail)
• [ELECTIONS COMMUNICATION] Prof sign open letter to Trudeau, Elections Canada over ‘chilling’ act (Spectator)
• [SMART CITY GOVERNANCE] Investing in next-gen infrastructure (CP/Spectator)
• [HATE SPEECH] House arrest for Your Ward News head (CBC)
• [ELECTIONS COMMUNICATION] Twitter to outline rules on election ads (Star)
• [PRIVACY] Federal parties subject to BC privacy laws: watchdog (Star)
• [ELECTIONS COMMUNICATION] Opinion: Time to move off ‘fake news’ (Star)
• [SMART CITY GOVERNANCE] Opinion: Toronto must take the lead on smart city infrastructure (Star)

International News

• [INTERNATIONAL TECH TRADE] China studying tech firms’ exposure to US suppliers (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Apple apologises for allowing workers to listen to Siri recordings (Guardian)
• [POST-NETWORK TV] YouTube challenges BBC with educational shows for UK viewers (Guardian)
• [TECH GOVERNANCE] Apple to add independent shops to its iPhone repair network amid calls for more consumer ease (Globe and Mail)
• [SHIPPING/DELIVERY] How Amazon’ shipping empire is challenging UPS, FedEx (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Now at your front door: More eyes for police (Washington Post)
• [CYBER WARFARE] US carried out secret cyberstrike on Iran to block shipping disruption (NYT)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/ELECTIONS COMMUNICATION] Facebook bolsters rules on political advertising (WSJ)
• [GIG ECONOMY/LABOUR] Uber, Lyft, DoorDash threaten ballot fight over gig-worker law (WSJ)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Google says hackers have put ‘monitoring implants’ in iPhones for years (Guardian)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/PRIVACY] The baroness fighting to protect digital rights of kids (NYT)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] After ban, Infowars makes divisive return to YouTube—for all of a day (Washington Post)
• [CENSORSHIP] China snuffs out a dissenting voice (Washington Post)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] WSJ reporter covered Xi’s family. Then China banned him (Washington Post)

(August 27-September 2, 2019)

Canadian Heritage

• Supporting Indigenous Languages Across Saskatchewan
• Backgrounder — Supporting Indigenous Languages Across Saskatchewan
• Advancing Reconciliation by Commemorating the History and Legacy of Residential Schools
• Celebrating Community and Creative Expression in Calgary and Southern Alberta
• Backgrounder – Celebrating Community and Creative Expression in Calgary and Southern Alberta
• Supporting Indigenous Languages in Southern Alberta

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

• New online services for industrial designs

CRTC

News Releases:

• CRTC launches review of cellphone financing plans
• Broadcasting decision 2019-306
  [2019-08-29 11:00:00]
  RENEWED – Bell Canada – Various locations – Renewal of the broadcasting licences for the terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings set out in the appendix to this decision
• Broadcasting decision 2019-305
  [2019-08-29 11:00:00]
  APPROVED IN PART – Intercity Broadcasting Network Inc. – Toronto, Ontario – Application to extend deadlines to fulfill requirements relating to additional Canadian content development contributions for the English-language commercial (specialty) radio station CKFG-FM Toronto
• Broadcasting information bulletin 2019-304
  [2019-08-29 11:00:00]
  Production Report to be completed annually by large English- and French-language ownership groups – Public record: 1011-NOC2018-0488
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2019-303
  [2019-08-28 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing – 5 November 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 27 September 2019

Policy announcements:

• Broadcasting: 2019-308 – English-language closed captioning mandatory quality standards relating to the accuracy rate for live television programming – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0009

Competition Bureau Canada

• Government websites: spot the legitimate among the fakes 
• Competition Bureau publishes highlights from recent Data Forum

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Canadians in St. Julien’s and Croque, NL, to benefit from faster Internet
• Government of Canada invests in innovative discovery research at the University of Toronto
• Minister Joly announces Government of Canada investment in research collaborations between Collège Ahuntsic and entrepreneurs
• Canadians in Prince County to benefit from faster Internet
• Government of Canada invites small businesses to propose ways to rapidly verify portable digital credentials
• Parliamentary Secretary Kate Young announces investment to help prepare young Canadians for tomorrow’s jobs
• Canadians in Rollingdam, Bonny River, Jemseg, McDonald Corner, Upper Hainesville and Davidson Lake to benefit from faster Internet

Apple

• Improving Siri’s privacy protections
• Apple offers customers even more options for safe, reliable repairs

Facebook

• Updates to Ads About Social Issues, Elections or Politics in the US

Google

• Backing Asia Pacific’s emerging newsroom leaders

Microsoft

• The Intelligent Edge revolution

YouTube

• The Four Rs of Responsibility, Part 1: Removing harmful content

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

The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the coming week. This list may be incomplete and is subject to change without notice.

• Broadcasting Decisions:
• Decisions relating to the following applications considered under the Commission’s Part 1 process:
  • Bell Canada
    Addition of Great Wall Elite to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
    Public record for this application: 2019-0474-8
  • Bell Canada
    Addition of Zhejiang International Channel to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
    Public record for this application: 2019-0477-2
  • Harvest Ministries Sudbury
    CJTK-FM Sudbury – New transmitter in Kapuskasing
    Public record for this application: 2019-0359-2
• Telecom Decision:
  • City of Gatineau – Terms and conditions of a municipal access agreement with certain carriers
    Public record: 8690-V81-201703231

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• September
  To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-225. View hearing documents (2019-225)
• November 5, 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec
  To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-303
  View hearing documents (2019-303)

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings