Newsletter: October 27, 2020

Weekly News (October 27, 2020)
Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(October 20 – October 26, 2020)

Canadian News

• [NEWS MEDIA/PLATFORM REGULATION] Canadian news publishers call on government to take on Google/Facebook, urge adoption of the Australian model (The Globe and Mail; Similar story on The National Post)
• [NEWS MEDIA/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] EDITORIAL BOARD: Ottawa now has a road map to rein in digital giants (The Toronto Star)
• [BROADCAST OWNERSHIP] New owner of G98.7FM emerges, and some worry ‘that is it for Black-owned radio in Toronto’ (The Toronto Star)
• [CRTC/RACIAL BIAS] Federal court dismisses appeal case by former CRTC commissioner over termination (The Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Nunavut leaders vote to remove minister; ‘All lives’ post (The National Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/RACIAL SLUR] University of Ottawa professor at centre of controversy involving racial slur says she regrets actions (The Globe and Mail)
• [DATA COLLECTION/RACIAL BIAS] Bias behind bars: A Globe investigation finds a prison system stacked against Black and Indigenous inmates (The Globe and Mail)
• [COVID-19 DATA] ‘Critical’ data gaps have greatly hampered Canadian governments’ ability to face COVID-19 pandemic: report (The National Post)
• [NEWS MEDIA] How government can save the news (The Hamilton Spectator)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Cogeco to buy Quebec cable, internet provider DERYtelecom for $405M (BNN Bloomberg)
• [MISINFORMATION/PLATFORM REGULATION] Canada reported as misinformation super-spreader (The Toronto Star)

International News

• [ANITRUST/PLATFORM REGULATION] Washington files landmark antitrust case against Google (The Associated Press)
• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM REGULATION] U.S. antitrust case against Google mirrors Microsoft battle (The Associated Press via Yahoo)
• [PRIVACY/DATA STORAGE] Va. police can keep license plate data indefinitely, state Supreme Court rules (The Washington Post)
• [DEFAMATION] Pandemic thwarts arguments as U.S. judge reviews Trump rape accuser’s defamation case (Reuters)
• [CENSORSHIP]  Facebook, Twitter CEOs ordered to testify by GOP senators (The Associated Press via CTV News)
• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] F.T.C. Decision on Pursuing Facebook Antitrust Case Is Said to Be Near (The New York Times)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/PLATFORM REGULATION] U.S. FCC lawyer says agency can change rules on social media liability shield (Reuters)
• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Australian watchdog considers its own Google antitrust case (The Associated Press)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ELECTIONS] OPINION: Joel Bakan: Threat of U.S. election chaos a terrifying reminder Big Tech should not be entrusted to uphold democracy (The Globe and Mail)
• [SURVEILLANCE/NATIONAL SECURITY] Senators seek IG probe of border agency’s warrantless use of phone location data (The Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] White House Nears New Rules on Artificial Intelligence (The Wall Street Journal)
• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM REGULATION] Forget Antitrust Laws. To Limit Tech, Some Say a New Regulator Is Needed. (The New York Times)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] A Teacher, His Killer and Challenges to France’s Assimilation Policy (The New York Times)
• [CENSORSHIP] Thailand cancels emergency decree in bid to calm protests (The Associated Press via CTV News)
• [PRIVACY/SURVEILLANCE] Does Palantir See Too Much? (The New York Times)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION/POLICE INVESTIGATION] Facial-Recognition Startup Clearview Moves to Limit Risk of Police Abuse (The Wall Street Journal)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION] U.S. Offers Loans for Telecom Gear (The Wall Street Journal)
• [CENSORSHIP] Twitter removes false coronavirus tweet by Trump’s favourite health adviser (The Guardian)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Russian cyber-attack spree shows what unrestrained internet warfare looks like (The Guardian)
• [NEWS MEDIA/US-CHINA RELATIONS] US hits Chinese media with new restrictions, upping tensions (The Associated Press)
•  

(October 20 – October 26, 2020)

Canadian Heritage

• Supporting Media Literacy to Stop the Spread of Online Disinformation

Competition Bureau Canada

• Supporting competition on the road to economic recovery

Global Affairs Canada

• Media registration opens for Global Conference for Media Freedom

Federal Court of Canada

• [PATENT] Flatwork Technologies, LLC (Powerblanket) v. Brierley – 2020 FC 997 – 2020-10-22

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• 2019-2020 ATIP Annual Reports tabled in Parliament

Google

• A united front against online piracy in Asia Pacific

Microsoft

• Microsoft and the Open Data Institute join together to launch a Peer Learning Network for Data Collaborations

Twitter

• How Twitter is helping people vote early

Facebook

• Oversight Board to Start Hearing Cases

Instagram

• More Information on Social Issue Ads on Instagram

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting and Telecom notice of consultation 2020-357
  [2020-10-23 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Amendments to the Canadian Radio television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure and the Discretionary Services Regulations
• Broadcasting decision 2020-356
  [2020-10-22 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Bell Canada – Various locations in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces – Applications to renew the regional broadcasting licences for the licensee’s terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings serving various areas in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following leave applications will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 29, 2020. This list is subject to change.
  • [PERSONAL INFORMATION] Daniel John Kupchik v. Her Majesty the Queen (Man.) (Criminal) (By Leave) (39231)

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: October 27-October 30, 2020

 Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: October 26, 2020-October 30, 2020

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of October 26-30, 2020

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:

• 2190015 Ontario Inc.
  CHCH-DT – Licence amendment
  Public record: 2020-0316-9
• Newfoundland Broadcasting Corporation Limited
  CJON-DT – Licence amendment
  Public record: 2019­0545-7
• Bell Media Inc.
  CJCB-TV Sydney – Technical changes
  Public record: 2020-0441-4
• Bell Media Radio Atlantic Inc.
  CKHJ Fredericton – Technical changes
  Public record: 2020-0501-6

Telecommunications Decisions:

• Relief for area codes 289, 365, and 905 in southern Ontario
  Public record: 8621-C12-01/08
• Further revision to the relief implementation schedule for area code 506 in New Brunswick
  Public record: 1011-NOC2016-0206

Open Public Consultations:

 Call for comments – Establishment of new deadlines for Canada’s transition to next-generation 9-1-1 (Deadline for replies: November 9, 2020)

• Call for comments on an application by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters requesting regulatory relief for Canadian broadcasters in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic (Deadline for replies: October 29, 2020)