Newsletter: October 16, 2019

Weekly News (October 16, 2019)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg and Kim Payne 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)

Canadian News (October 8-15, 2019)

• [COPYRIGHT] CBC sues Conservatives over use of excerpts; Tories Vow Fight (National Post)
• [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] Alberta now says energy war room not subject to freedom of information laws as a private corporation (The Star)
• [SIDEWALK LABS] Waterfront asks Sidewalk to justify new land request (Press Reader)
• [SIDEWALK LABS] Sidewalk Labs proposals put the fox in charge of the henhouse (The Conversation)
• [CYBER PUBLIC EDUCATION] Innovative Cybersafety Bootcamp for Ontario Students adds Social Responsibility and Identity Protection to Digital Literacy Curriculum (Globenewire)
• [PRIVACY PROTECTION INNOVATION] Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund supports launch of health technology accelerator HATCH-YYC (Globenewswire)
• [BROADCAST] Canada’s media ecosystem is in danger of buckling. Who’s to blame? (Globe and Mail)
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS] Right-wing outlets win legal fight to attend leaders’ debates (National Post)
• [CULTURAL POLICY] Opinion: Liberals change tactics in fight against big media (Globe and Mail)
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] Opinion: Consumers, tech companies look to life beyond the Social Insurance Number (The Star)
• [DATA PRIVACY] Opinion: Plain language about health data is essential for transparency and trust (The Conversation)
• [BROADCAST] Opinion: Canadian TV production is making the wrong kind of shows and falling behind (The Star)

 International News (October 8-15, 2019)

• [PRIVACY] Student tracking, secret scores: How college admissions offices rank prospects before they apply (Washington Post)
• [ELECTION ADVERTISING] Warren escalates Facebook fight with ads targeting Zuckerberg (AP)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Mark Zuckerberg is holding private dinners to wine and dine conservative pundits (Vanity Fair)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Students burn Latina author’s book after she discusses white privilege (Guardian)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Apple pulls app used by Hong Kong protesters to track the police (NYT)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Amazon lays out its policies on political and social issues (CNN)
• [PRIVACY] Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: US heading in ‘same direction as China’ with online privacy (CNBC)
• [PRIVACY] New Way to Track Voters: Their Phones – Political groups use location data to target people based on where they’ve been (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Judge Says F.B.I. Tactics Violated Right of Privacy (NYT)
• [PRIVACY] Photos of your kids are powering surveillance AI (NYT)
• [PRIVACY] Top Microsoft exec says online privacy has reached ‘a crisis point’ (CNN)
• [PRIVACY] Opinion: Americans will pay a price for state privacy laws (NYT)

(October 8-15, 2019)

Supreme Court of Canada

Judgments in leave applications:

• [DEFAMATION] (38592) United Soils Management Ltd. v. Katie Mohammed (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave) The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Number C64197, 2019 ONCA 128, dated February 20, 2019, is dismissed with costs on a solicitor-client basis.
• [DEFAMATION] (38657) Beacon Publishing Inc., o/a Frontline Safety & Security, FrontLine Security Magazine, Edward R. Myers, Christina MacLean, Philip Murray, Scott Newark, Martin Rudner, John Doe and Jane Doe v. Jerry Bradwick Montour and Grand River Enterprises Six Nations Ltd. (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave)
  The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Number C64409, 2019 ONCA 246, dated March 29, 2019, is dismissed with costs. Côté J. took no part in the judgment.

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2019-303-1
  [2019-10-11 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing – 5 November 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec – Correction to item 6
• Telecom order 2019-350
  [2019-10-10 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel TN 1059
• Telecom order 2019-349
  [2019-10-09 11:00:00]
  Streamlined Order – The Commission approves the following tariff application: TELUS Communications Inc. TN 636
• Telecom Decision 2019-348
  [2019-10-08 11:00:00]
  Follow-up to Telecom Regulatory Policy 2019-66 – Activities related to next-generation 9-1-1 network design efficiencies – Public record: 1011-NOC2018-0105
• Telecom decision 2019-347
  [2019-10-08 11:00:00]
  CISC ad hoc relief planning committee – Consensus report 450_579RE02A regarding Numbering Plan Area 450/579 – Public record: 1011-NOC2018-0233

Elections Canada

• Final Election Expenses Limits Now Available

 Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Beware of calls asking for your Social Insurance Number

 Amazon

• Our Positions

 Facebook

• A Conversation with Mark Zuckerberg, Joe DeRisi and Steve Quake

Microsoft

• Teens say parents share too much about them online – Microsoft study

“The 42nd Parliament was dissolved on September 11, 2019.

Dissolution occurs when the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, issues a proclamation putting an end to the current Parliament, which triggers a general election.

In practice, as soon as Parliament is dissolved, all committee activity ceases and, as such, all orders of reference and committee studies lapse. No committee may sit during a dissolution.”

Senate of Canada

• No fixed and possible Senate sitting days this week.

Canadian House of Commons

• No fixed and possible House of Commons sitting days this week.

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 Decision:

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

• Radio Humsafar Inc.
  Ethnic commercial AM radio station in Brampton – Technical changes and extension of implementation deadline
  Public record for these applications: 2019-0706-5 and 2019-0742-9

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy
• November 5, 2019 – Gatineau, QuebecTo consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-303 View hearing documents (2019-303)
• December 3, 2019 – Gatineau, QuebecTo consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-341 View hearing documents (2019-341)

Copyright Board of Canada

Upcoming hearings:

• Non-Commercial Radio
  [CMRRA: 2003-2010; CSI: 2011-2018; Re:Sound: 2013-2018]
  Hearing: Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., Copyright Board hearing room.
  Schedule of Proceedings;
  Directive on Procedure
• Background Music
  [SOCAN: 2012-2018; Re:Sound: 2014-2018]
  Hearing: Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., Copyright Board hearing room.
  Schedule of Proceedings;
  Directive on Procedure

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings