Newsletter: December 8, 2020

Weekly News (December 8, 2020)
Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

The Communications Governance Discussion Group meets every few weeks by Zoom.  Email organizer Derek Hrynyshyn <derekh@yorku.ca> for details.

(December 1-7, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Federal competition commissioner says international regulators have stronger tools to take on Big Tech (The Globe and Mail)
• [INTERNET POLICY/DIGITAL TAXES] Fiscal update includes tax changes for Netflix, stock options and working from home (The Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/MEDIA] Opinion: Bernhard: Liberals need to keep their Big Tech promise (National Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Canadians support Netflix sales tax, more Facebook regulation, poll suggests (The Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Watchdog calls out RCMP for exploring new genetic investigative techniques without privacy disclosures (The Globe and Mail)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] CBC issues new guidelines on branded content amid Tandem paid-partnership controversy (The Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCASTING REGULATION/OWNERSHIP] Opinion: Michael Geist: Ottawa’s new broadcast bill could spell the end of Canadian ownership requirements (The Globe and Mail)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Opinion: Latham Hunter: How media deregulation led to President Trump (The Hamilton Spectator)
• [PRIVACY] Body camera use by N.L. town’s ‘dogcatcher,’ bylaw enforcement officer investigated (The Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Justice of the peace should be fired for criticizing courts in newspaper article, discipline panel rules (The Toronto Star)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] Success not factor in film funding (Ottawa Citizen; Similar Story also available)
• [PRIVACY] Advocates seek privacy rights for foster kids after age 21 so they can get ‘fresh start’ (The Toronto Star)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Trudeau stresses digital tech’s potential — and dangers — at global AI summit (The Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY] More post-secondary schools are turning to online counselling services to help meet student mental health needs. But exactly who’s listening on the other side? (The Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY] Online exam monitoring can invade privacy and erode trust at universities (The Conversation via National Post)
• [SATELITE BROADBAND] Heavenly high-speed (The Toronto Star)
• [BROADBAND REGULATION] Surprise upgrades set for Internet-deprived communities (The Toronto Star)
• [ONLINE HARASSMENT] Left to face the brutal brunt of public vitrol (The Toronto Star)
• [PATENT] Opinion: Richard C. Owens: Seizing pharma profits kills pharma investment (The Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY] Dell customers seek compensation for breach (The Globe and Mail)

International News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION/S. 230] Trump hardens threat on defense bill (The Washington Post; Similar article available at the Wall Street Journal)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Trump signs order on principles for U.S. government AI use (Reuters)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/FCC] U.S. Senate set to vote on Trump FCC nominee as soon as next week (Reuters)
• [CENSORSHIP] China #MeToo case heads to court after 2-year delay (The Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY/IMMIGRATION] ACLU sues agencies over buying data to track immigrants (The Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY/CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE] E.U. Rule Will Limit Online Hunt For Abusers (The New York Times; Similar Article available here)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] U.S. Tech Giants Face Tighter Regulation in Europe (The Wall Street Journal)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/ POLICE] Macron’s party backtracks on plan to curb filming of police officers (Reuters)
• [CONNECTED CARS/DATA SHARING] EU Encourages Auto Industry Data-Sharing for Connected Cars (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION] China drafts rules on mobile apps’ collection of personal data (Reuters)
• [BROADBAND REGULATION] FCC announces billions of dollars in awards to provide rural areas with broadband access (The Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY/NATIONAL SECURITY] U.S. Used Divisive Tool Of Patriot Act to Collect Logs of Website Visitors (The New York Times)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Facebook to remove false claims about Covid vaccines (The Guardian)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Google’s star AI ethics researcher, one of a few Black women in the field, says she was fired for a critical email (The Washington Post; Similar story available at The Guardian)
• [PRIVACY] Twitter Data-Breach Decision Coming Soon, Privacy Watchdog Says (The Wall Street Journal )
• [SURVEILLANCE/DRONES] Police Drones Are Starting to Think For Themselves (The New York Times)
• [ARTIFICIANCE INTELLIGENCE/COMPLIANCE] Some Companies Aren’t Recognizing, Mitigating AI’s Potential Pitfalls (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/COPYRIGHT] Opinion: Nadine Shah: Music streaming makes major labels rich, while musicians like me go broke (The Guardian)

(December 1-7, 2020)

Federal Court of Appeal

• [PATENT] Apotex Inc. v. Allergan Inc. – 2020 FCA 208 – 2020-12-03 – Federal Court of Appeal Decisions

Copyright Board

• Recently Approved Tariffs: Re:Sound Tariff 1.B.2 – Non-Commercial Simulcasts and Webcasts (2013-2019) – December 5, 2020

Youtube

• Updates on our efforts to make YouTube a more inclusive platform

 Microsoft

• Innovative new uses of ElectionGuard

Twitter

• Updating our rules against hateful conduct

Facebook

• Oversight Board Selects First Cases to Review
• Stepping Up Our Investment in News in the UK

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting decision 2020-393
  [2020-12-04 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – 0859291 B.C. Ltd. – Victoria, British Columbia – Application to amend the condition of licence relating to described video for CHEK-DT
• Broadcasting decision 2020-392
  [2020-12-04 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of TVA Group Inc. – Montréal, Quebec – Application for authority to acquire the assets of the French-language discretionary services Évasion and Zeste
• Broadcasting decision 2020-391
  [2020-12-04 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – 591987 B.C. Ltd. – Various locations in Ontario – Applications to amend the broadcasting licences for six television stations that form part of the Corus Group of services in order to add conditions of licence that would authorize six over-the-air television stations to broadcast a multiplexed signal
• Telecom order 2020-390
  [2020-12-03 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Bell Canada TN 7622 and Bell MTS, a division of Bell Canada TN 0828
• Broadcasting decision 2020-389
  [2020-12-02 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Akash Broadcasting Inc. – Edmonton, Alberta – Application to acquire the assets of the ethnic commercial specialty radio station CKER-FM Edmonton and to obtain a new broadcasting licence to continue the operation of the station – DENIED – Request for an exception to the payment of tangible benefits as set out in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2014-459
• Telecom order 2020-388
  [2020-12-02 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1103
• Telecom order 2020-387
  [2020-12-02 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Câblevision du Nord de Québec inc. TN 11

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. EST on Thursday, December 10, 2020.
• [PATENT] Pfizer Canada ULC v. Pharmascience Inc. (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39150)
• [DEFAMATION] Noël Ayangma v. SaltWire Network Inc., operating as The Guardian, et al. (P.E.I.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39296)
• [ANTI-COMPETITION] Syngenta Canada Inc., et al. v. Darmar Farms Inc. (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave) (38915)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Kent Guo v. DJ Titanic Services Ltd., et al. (B.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39298)

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: December 7-11, 2020

 Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: December 7-11, 2020
• Upcoming committee meetings:
• [CHPC] (December 7, 2020) Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Challenges to Art, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sectors caused by COVID-19
• [ETHI] (December 7, 2020) Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy & Ethics: Questions of Conflict of Interest and Lobbying in Relation to Pandemic Spending
• [INDU] (December 7, 2020) Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology: Accessibility and Affordability of Telecommunications Services
• [CACN] (December 8, 2020) Special Committee on Canada-China Relations
• [SECU] (December 9, 2020) Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: Canadian Centre for Cyber Security Report on National Cyber Threat Assessment 2020

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of December 7-11, 2020

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.

Telecom Decision:

• Canadian Administrator of VRS (CAV), Inc. – Application requesting video relay service funding for 2021
  Public record: 8665-C209-202004654
• Final 2020 revenue-percent charge and related matters

Open Public Consultations:

• Planned consultation (Treasury Board Secretariat): Reviewing access to information (December 12, 2020)
• Creating Canada’s 5th National Action Plan on Open Government (Deadline for replies: December 18, 2020)
• Justice: Modernizing Canada’s Privacy Act – Public Consultation (January 17, 2021)
• Consultation on the Technical and Policy Framework for Licence-Exempt Use in the 6 GHz Band(January 19, 2021)
• CRTC: Share your views and ideas on telecommunications services in Northern Canada: Nov 2, 2020 to Jan 20, 2021