Newsletter: November 26, 2019

Weekly News (November 26, 2019)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg and Kim Payne with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(November 19-25)

Canadian News

• [COPYRIGHT / NET NEUTRALITY / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Court ruling to block pirate website could lead to a flood of similar cases, experts say (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADBAND REGULATION] Federal Court to hear telco appeals on wholesale broadband rates set by CRTC (Globe and Mail)
• [WIRELESS REGULATION]  Competition Bureau offers strategy to lower cellphone bills (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Facial recognition in public spaces can be ‘so damaging,’ privacy expert says (CTV)
• [SPAM CALLS] Inundated with complaints, Federal Court of Canada investigates telephone scams (Globe and Mail)
• [DEFAMATION] Judge dismisses Subway’s $210M lawsuit against CBC over chicken sandwich exposé (CBC)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Opinion (Peter Menzies): Ministers must tread lightly with telecom industry  (Globe and Mail)
• [SMART CITY] Sidewalk Labs and Plaza Ventures launch fund focused on urban tech (Star)
• [NEWS INDUSTRY] Torstar to close StarMetro national free newspapers, cutting more than 100 jobs (Globe and Mail)

 International News

• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Tim Berners-Lee unveils global plan to save the web (Guardian)
• [PRIVACY] Amnesty International calls Facebook, Google rights abusers (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] Senate Democrats Float Privacy Bill, but Bipartisan Deal Remains Elusive (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Uber Embraces Videotaping Rides, Raising Privacy Concerns (NYT)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] Russia passes bill targeting journalists (Washington Post)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] Saudi Arabia arrests more journalists and activists, rights group says (NBC)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Moroccan rapper gets year in prison for critical video (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion (Sacha Baron Cohen) The ‘Silicon Six’ spread propaganda. It’s time to regulate social media sites. (Washington Post)

(November 19-25)

 Federal Court of Appeal

 [TRADEMARK] Williams (It Essentials) v. Cisco Systems, Inc.

 Federal Court of Canada

• [TRADEMARK] Louis Vuitton Malletier S.A. v. Wang, 2019 FC 1389 – 2019-11-05

CRTC

News Releases:

• Public alerting tests to be conducted in Canada on November 27
• Canadians are invited to share their views on CBC’s programming
• Broadcasting decision 2019-378
  [2019-11-20 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Woodbine Entertainment Group – Across Canada – Application to revoke the broadcasting licence for the national English-language specialty Category B service HPItv

 Competition Bureau Canada

• Competition Bureau proposes wireless policy to lower prices for Canadians
• Building a Culture of Competition in Canada
• Scam alert: Retailers targeted with fake product recalls 

 Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• BC and federal privacy commissioners to release findings of investigation into AggregateIQ’s use of personal information
• Contributions Program launches annual call for innovative research and knowledge translation proposals

 Federal Trade Commission

• California Company Settles FTC Allegations that it Falsely Claimed Participation in EU-U.S. Privacy Shield

Google

• An update on our political ads policy

“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

Anticipated releases for the week of 25 to 29 November 2019 Subscribe to CRTC’s Upcoming CRTC Decisions and Regulatory Policies via email or RSS

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

Broadcasting Decision:

Decisions relating to the following applications that were set out in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2019-107:

• Bell ExpressVu Inc. (the general partner) and Bell Canada (the limited partner), carrying on business as Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership
  Satellite relay distribution undertaking – Licence renewal
  Public record for this application: 2018-0752-0
• Bell ExpressVu Inc. (the general partner), and Bell Canada (the limited partner), carrying on business as Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership
  Bell TV – Licence renewal
  Public record for this application: 2018-0755-4
• Shaw Satellite Services Inc.
  Satellite relay distribution undertaking – Licence renewal
  Public record for this application: 2018-0766-1
• Star Choice Television Network Incorporated
  Shaw Direct – Licence renewal
  Public record for this application: 2018-0753-8

Telecom Decisions:

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

• Amended and Restated National Contribution Fund Administration Agreement, effective 1 January 2020
  Public Record: 8695-C211-201901869
• Revised Procedures for the Operation of the National Contribution Fund, effective 1 January 2020
  Public record: 8695C211-201901877

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy
• December 3, 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec
  • To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-341
    View hearing documents (2019-341)
• February 12, 2020 – Montréal (Québec)
  • To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC CRTC 2019-358 and 2019-358-1
    View hearing documents (2019-358)
• February 18, 2020 (previously 13 January 2020) – Gatineau, Quebec
  • Review of mobile wireless services. Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-57 and 2019-57-1
    View hearing documents (2019-57)
• May 25, 2020 – Gatineau, Quebec
  • To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC CRTC 2019-379 View hearing documents (2019-379)

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., Cop

 

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings