Newsletter: July 14, 2020

Weekly News (July 14, 2020)

Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(July 7 – July 13, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PRIVACY] Genetic non-discrimination law is constitutional, Supreme Court says (The National Post)
• [AI/FACIAL RECOGNITION] Quebec photographer launches facial recognition lawsuit over RCMP’s database use (National Post)
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/COVID] N.B. COVID rules require venues collect patrons’ contact info in case of outbreak (The Canadian Press via the Winnipeg Free Press)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION/CRTC] CRTC not taking seriously complaints that confessions forced by Chinese police are being broadcast, victims say (The Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/PROTEST] OPINION: Josh Dehaas: Alberta’s likely unconstitutional chill on lawful protests (The National Post)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION/SURVEILLANCE] Ban federal use of facial-recognition tools, groups urge Trudeau government (The Canadian Press via the Winnipeg Free Press)

International News

• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/ELECTION] Supreme Court Rules Trump Cannot Block Release of Financial Records (New York Times)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/COPYRIGHT] EU court: No need to reveal IP addresses in uploading cases (The Associated Press)
• [PRIVACY] EU top court to rule in landmark Facebook, Schrems privacy case (Reuters)
• [DEFAMATION] Nevada court considering Wynn defamation claim against AP (The Associated Press)
• [HATE SPEECH/MISINFORMATION] Facebook scorned by civil rights groups after Mark Zuckerberg meeting (The Toronto Star)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION/SURVEILLANCE] UK and Australia launch probe into Clearview AI (The Telegraph)
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/COPPA] EXPLAINER-How the U.S. seeks to protect children’s privacy online (Reuters)
• [CYBERSECURITY/PERSONAL INFORMATION] Regulators plot path for cross-border payments to counter Facebook (The New York Times)
• [TRADEMARK/DISCRIMINATION] Washington’s NFL team to retire Redskins name, following sponsor pressure and calls for change (Washington Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/JOURNALISM] U.N. expert accuses White House of ‘onslaught’ against media (Reuters)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION/NATIONAL SECURITY] Exclusive: U.S. finalizing federal contract ban for companies that use Huawei, others (Reuters)
• [PRIVACY/CONTACT-TRACING APP] Virus-Tracing Apps Are Rife With Problems. Governments Are Rushing to Fix Them. (The New York Times)
• [FREEDOM OF THE PRESS/DEFAMATION] OPINION: Mary Anastasia O’Grady: Panama’s Free Press Under Siege; A court tries to gag the country’s largest newspaper amid a U.S. corruption probe. (The Washington Street Journal)

(July 7-July 13, 2020)

Canadian Heritage

• Backgrounder: Final Component of Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Culture, Heritage and Sport Organizations

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Ministers Bains and Anand to provide an update on Canadian industrial effort in the fight against COVID-19

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

• Immediate action is required—beyond the upcoming review of the access to information system—to repair the federal access system

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Supreme Court of Canada ruling bolsters the privacy rights of Canadians

Copyright Board

• SOCAN 22.D.3 (2007–2018): Jurisdictional Ruling(July 9, 2020)

Microsoft

• Microsoft takes legal action against COVID-19-related cybercrime

Facebook

• Making Progress on Civil Rights – But Still a Long Way to Go

Senate of Canada

• No sitting days this week.

Canadian House of Commons

• Next Sitting Day: July 22

 Supreme Court of Canada

• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] Reference re Genetic Non‑Discrimination Act– 2020 SCC 17 – 2020-07-10

Federal Court of Appeal of Canada

• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Iris Technologies Inc. v. Canada (National Revenue)– 2020 FCA 117 – 2020-07-08

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.

Anticipated releases for the week of July 13-17

Broadcasting Decisions:

Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for various television services

• • Decision relating to the following application considered under the Commission’s Part 1 process:
  • St. Andrews Community Channel Inc.
    Complaint by St. Andrews Community Channel Inc. alleging undue preference against Rogers Communications Canada Inc. regarding the distribution of CHCO-TV
    Public record for this application: 2019-1114-9

Telecom Decision:

Bell Canada – Application to review and vary and stay Telecom Decision 2019-390 regarding the routing of toll-free traffic destined for the company’s toll-free telephone number customers
Public record: 8662-B2-201912618

 Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

 Open Public Consultations:

• Political Communications in Federal Elections (August 21, 2020 deadline)