Newsletter: March 10, 2020

Weekly News (March 10, 2020)
Compiled by Leandra Greenfield with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(March 3-March 10, 2020)

Canadian News

• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] CRTC won’t force wireless providers to offer paper billing (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Ottawa says telecom companies must lower wireless prices or face regulatory consequences (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Advocates say telecom companies likely to find price-drop loopholes (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Ottawa wants more time to update Canada’s data privacy laws. Critics say we can’t wait (Toronto Star)
• [BOADCASTING POLICY] Industry minister says Canada ‘won’t be bullied’ on Huawei 5G (Toronto Star)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Canadian filmmakers fret Cineplex sale could diminish support for homegrown films (Globe and Mail)
• [DEFAMATION] The chess teacher’s gambit: How a typo led to a defamation lawsuit (Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY] Canada’s cyber intelligence agency working on ‘Holy Grail’ of encryption (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] RCMP denied using facial recognition technology – then said it had been using it for months (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] CRA should tell people when their banking records are shared with U.S., say critics (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] Koodo admits February data breach, data already being sold on dark web (FINANCIAL POST)

International News

• [PRIVACY] Tech Firms Seek to Head Off Bans on Facial Recognition (WSJ)
• [CENSORSHIP] China’s WeChat censorship during COVID-19 outbreak poses public-health risk, researchers say (Globe and Mail)
• [DEFAMATION] Trump Campaign Sues The Washington Post for Libel (NYT)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Sharing Your Digital Health Data: New Rules Ease Access (WSJ)
• [CENSORSHIP] Made-in-China Censorship for Sale (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Australia privacy watchdog sues Facebook over data breach (Financial Times)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] The Technology 202: Twitter’s first ‘manipulated media’ flag on Trump aide ignites fact-checking debate (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Tech Giants Pledge Fight Against Online Child Exploitation (WSJ)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Reddit moderators are banning the Athletic content over copyright concerns (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Can police unlock your phone? Disappearance of NJ woman shows why policy frustrates cops (USA Today)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Hachette Says It Won’t Publish Woody Allen’s Book (NYT)
• [PRIVACY] Smile! Your Boss Is Tracking Your Happiness (WSJ)
• [CENSORSHIP] Defiant Iranian Directors Speak Out About Censorship, Onscreen and Off (NYT)
• [TRADEMARK] Comedian Joe Lycett changes name to Hugo Boss in swipe at fashion house (The Guardian)
• [PRIVACY] India may soon get a home-grown platform for Artificial Intelligence (Hindustan Times)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY / COMPETITION] Blow for telcos: Niti Aayog, CCI oppose fixing floor for telecom tariffs (Economic Times)
• [PRIVACY] Melbourne professor quits after health department pressures her over data breach (The Guardian)

(March 3-March 10, 2020)

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Ian Baggley to the Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Association of Wireless Internet Providers (CanWISP)

Competition Bureau Canada

• Competition Bureau looks at three types of online claims that consumers encounter every day

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada takes action to offer more affordable options for wireless services
• Offering Canadian consumers more affordable options for their wireless services (backgrounder)
• 3500 MHz band spectrum auction

National Film Board

• The NFB’s commitment to gender parity: in year four, continued strong results in films directed by women with net improvements in key creative positions

Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology

• The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology launches a study of various aspects of telecommunications in Canada
• The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology launches a study on fraud calls

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom notice of consultation 2020-89
  [2020-03-06 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Show cause proceeding and call for comments – Telecommunications service providers that have failed to become participants in the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services Inc.- Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0089
• Telecom order 2020-88
  [2020-03-06 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Bell Canada (NST) TN 964, Bell Aliant, a division of Bell Canada TN 541, TN 824 and TN 824A and Bell Canada TN 7606 and TN 7606A
• Telecom order 2020-87
  [2020-03-06 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Northwestel Inc. TN 1070, TN 1070A and TN 1073
• Broadcasting decision 2020-86
  [2020-03-04 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Kuujjuaq, Inukjuaq, Kuujjuarapik, Puvirnituq, and Salluit, Quebec; and Iqaluit, Nunavut – APPROVED – Application to operate a new English language FM radio station in Kuujjuaq – APPROVED – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for CFFB Iqaluit by deleting certain rebroadcasting transmitters
• Broadcasting decision 2020-85
  [2020-03-04 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Chisasibi, Wemindji, Waskaganish, Waswanipi, Mistissini and Québec, Quebec – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate a new English-language FM radio station in Chisasibi – APPROVED – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for CBVE-FM Québec by deleting certain rebroadcasting transmitters
• Broadcasting decision 2020-84
  [2020-03-04 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Montréal, Chisasibi, Mistissini, Kuujjuaq, Kuujjuarapik, Waskaganish, Wemindji, and Waswanipi, Quebec – Applications to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language radio station CBF-FM Montréal
• Telecom notice of consultation 2020-83
  [2020-03-03 11:00:00]
  Show cause proceeding and call for comments – Distinction between residential and business wholesale high-speed access services – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0083
• Telecom order 2020-82
  [2020-03-03 11:00:00]
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the National Pensioners Federation in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2020 80 – File numbers: 8661-P8-201804295 and 4754-600
• Broadcasting and Telecom notice of consultation 2020-81
  [2020-03-03 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Provision of paper bills by communications service providers – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0081
• Telecom decision 2020-80
  [2020-03-03 11:00:00]
  Public Interest Advocacy Centre and National Pensioners Federation – Application regarding paper billing by Koodo Mobile – Public record: 8661-P8-201804295

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• OPC updates guidance to help federal public sector institutions conducting privacy impact assessments

Microsoft

• Microsoft Airband: An annual update on connecting rural America
• Empowering communities toward a more equitable criminal justice system

Twitter

• Updating our rules against hateful conduct
• Stepping up our work to protect the public conversation around Covid-19

Facebook

• Protecting People from Domain Name Fraud

Senate of Canada

• Sitting days this week: March 10-12, 2020
• Possible sitting days this week: March 13, 2020

Canadian House of Commons

• Sitting days this week: March 9-13, 2020
• Upcoming committee meetings:
  • [INDU] (March 10, 2020) Industry, Science and Technology: Fraud Calls in Canada
  • [ETHI] (March 11, 2020) Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics:
    • Briefing with the Information Commissioner of Canada
    • Possible Reform of the National Identity System

CRTC

Anticipated Releases: 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 application considered by the Commission at the 5 November 2019 public hearing:
    • Stingray Group Inc.
      • Stingray Hits – Licensing of a discretionary service
      • Public record for this application: 2019-0185-1
• Telecom Decisions
  • Wireless Code – Application by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the National Pensioners Federation seeking clarification and enforcement of rules regarding prepaid balances
    • Public record: 8620-P8-201800756
  • Bell Mobility Inc. – Application to review and vary the Broadband Fund’s pricing and affordability eligibility criterion for mobile wireless broadband Internet access projects
    • Public record: 8662-B38-201912577

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings