Newsletter: March 2, 2021
Weekly News (March 2, 2021)
Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertler with Sara Bannerman, Fenwick McKelvey, Guillaume Dandurand, Marek Blottière, and Kevin Morin
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory
This week’s newsletter includes additional links to articles made available through Factiva via McMaster and York respectively.
The Communications Governance Discussion Group meets every few weeks by Zoom. Email organizer Derek Hrynyshyn <derekh@yorku.ca> for details.
(February 23th- March 1st, 2021)
Canadian News
- [INTERNET REGULATION] Advocates announce day of action for affordable internet, as Supreme Court delivers defeat to Bell Canada (The Toronto Star)
- [NEWS CONTENT/PLATFORM REGULATION] Canada will work with Australia to force Big Tech to compensate for content and remove online hate: Trudeau (National Post; McMaster; York)
- [PLATFORM REGULATION] Ottawa se dit prêt à défier Facebook (Le Journal de Montréal)
- [BROADCAST REGULATION/CANCON] Netflix wants CanCon flexibility (National Post; McMaster; York)
- [PLATFORM REGULATION] Les lois inefficaces face aux pratiques de Pornhub (Le Devoir)
- [COPYRIGHT/CONSUMER RIGHTS] MP’s bill fights for consumers’ right to repair; Copyright act; (National Post; McMaster; York)
- [ELECTIONS/ADVERTISING] Ontario proposes election laws reform to limit third-party advertising (Canadian Press via Kitchener Today)
- [ANONYMINITY/DEFAMATION] La page de dénonciations «Dis son nom» ne peut pas être anonyme (Le Devoir)
- [FREEDOM OF SPEECH/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] User-designed clothing company files injunction after Shopify shut down its web store (The Globe and Mail; McMaster; York)
- [SURVEILLANCE] Does Canada allow spyware exports to repressive military regimes? Ottawa won’t say (The Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
- [ONLINE HARASSMENT/DEFAMATION] Travis Alkins among 150 Internet harassment victims in ground-breaking court case (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
- [DEFAMATION] Defamation suit offers lessons in litigation costs (National Post; McMaster; York)
- [PERSONAL INFO/CRIMINAL RECORD] Clare’s Law in Saskatchewan used handful of times; Mounties review their role (Canadian Press via CBC News; McMaster; York)
- [CYBERSECURITY] Des documents à propos d’un avion militaire auraient été volés (La Presse)
- [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Pas branchés, sauf les abords du chalet du patron de Bell (Le Journal de Montréal)
- [PERSONAL INFO/NATIONAL SECURITY] Visa services at Canadian embassy in China contracted out under Conservatives: Blair (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
- [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Digitizing archives can increase access to information but compromise privacy (National Post; McMaster; York)
- [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Opinion: Peter Menzies: Neither CRTC nor CBC following the law by allowing dismantling Radio Canada International (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
- [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Taylor Owens: Is Big Tech ungovernable? (The Globe and Mail; McMaster; York)
- [CYBERSECURITY/LABOUR] Cyber-defence workers vote to go on strike (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
- [PLATFORM REGULATION] Editorial: Cardinal: Des places publiques… qui ne le sont pas (La Presse)
International News
- [ANTITRUST] UK competition watchdog warns big tech firms of investigations (The Guardian)
- [NEWS CONTENT/PLATFORM REGULATION] Competition watchdog expects Google and Facebook to strike deal with small publishers (The Guardian; McMaster; York)
- [NEWS CONTENT/PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook Fight Over Media Payments Shifts Focus to Europe (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
- [ONLINE CONTENT/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] India introduces new rules to regulate online content (The Canadian Press via CTV News; McMaster; York)
- [PRIVACY] Facebook, Google Face ‘Strong Pipeline’ of Privacy Rulings in Europe (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
- [BROADBAND REGULATION] F.C.C. Approves Subsidy For High-Speed Internet (New York Times; McMaster; York)
- [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] U.N. human rights boss urges Saudi Arabia to allow free speech, assembly (Reuters; McMaster; York)
- [NET NEUTRALITY] Federal judge says California can enforce net neutrality law (Los Angeles Times; McMaster; York)
- [PRIVACY/FACIAL RECOGNITION] Judge approves $650M Facebook privacy lawsuit settlement (The Guardian; McMaster; York)
- [PRIVACY] TikTok owner ByteDance to pay $92M in US privacy settlement (The Associated Press via CTV News; McMaster; York)
- [AI/PRIVACY] German Prosecutors Are Building AI In-House (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
- [PRIVACY] ICE investigators used a private utility database covering millions to pursue immigration violations (Washington Post; McMaster; York)
- [NATIONAL SECURITY/HACK REPORTING] More SolarWinds Hack Victims Yet to Be Publicly Identified, Tech Executives Say (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
- [US-CHINA RELATIONS/AI] Top U.S. Senate Democrat directs lawmakers to craft bill to counter China (Reuters; McMaster; York)
- [CENSORSHIP/NEWS MEDIA] Opinion: Kimberley A. Strassel: ‘Just Asking’ for Censorship; Democrats expand their effort to shut down speech by targeting newsrooms. (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
- [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Opinion: Kelsey Zorzi: Facebook fights censorship only when it’s profitable (Washington Post; McMaster; York)
(February 23-March 1, 2021)
Competition Bureau Canada
- Investigation of FlightHub ends with $5.8M in total penalties for company and directors
- Innovation, access and choice in Canada’s digital health care sector: Views of Canadians and industry stakeholders
National Film Board
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
- The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.
-
- [TELECOM REGULATION/WHOLESALE RATES] Bell Canada, Bell MTS and MTS Inc. v. British Columbia Broadband Association, Competitive Network Operators of Canada (previously known as Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc.), Distributel Communications Limited, Ice Wireless Inc., Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Vaxination Informatique and TekSavvy Solutions Inc. – and – Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39423) (Dismissed)
- [TELECOM REGULATION/WHOLESALE RATES] Bragg Communications Incorporated (c.o.b. Eastlink), et al. v. British Columbia Broadband Association et al (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39424) (Dismissed)
- [PUBLICATION BAN] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation v. Her Majesty the Queen, et al. (Man.) (Civil) (By Leave) 38992
Federal Court of Appeal
- [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Gregory – 2021 FCA 33 – 2021-02-23
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Copyright Board of Canada
- Approved Tariffs: Re:Sound Tariff 6.C – Use of Recorded Music to Accompany Adult Entertainment (2019-2023)
Microsoft
- Updates to our work on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation
- Disclosing networks of state-linked information operations
CRTC
- Broadcasting decision 2021-88-1
[2021-02-26 11:00:00]
APPROVED – Cobequid Radio Society – Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the English-language community radio station CIOE-FM Lower Sackville - Broadcasting decision 2021-76-1
[2021-02-26 11:00:00]
Radio CFXU Club – Antigonish, Nova Scotia – CFXU-FM Antigonish – Licence renewal – Correction - Broadcasting decision 2021-96
[2021-02-26 11:00:00]
APPROVED – Cobequid Radio Society – Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the English-language community radio station CIOE-FM Lower Sackville - Broadcasting decision 2021-95
[2021-02-25 11:00:00]
APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Edmonton and Bonnyville, Alberta – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language radio station CHFA-10-FM Edmonton, Alberta, in order to operate a new transmitter in Bonnyville, Alberta, to rebroadcast the programming of its national network service ICI Radio-Canada Première - Telecom order 2021-94
[2021-02-24 11:00:00]
Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Bell Canada TN 7629 - Broadcasting decision 2021-93
[2021-02-24 11:00:00]
APPROVED – South Fraser Broadcasting Inc. – Surrey, British Columbia – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the English-language commercial radio station CISF-FM Surrey - Broadcasting decision 2021-92
[2021-02-24 11:00:00]
RENEWED – 0971197 B.C. Ltd. – Vancouver, British Columbia – Broadcasting licence for the specialty (spoken word) radio station CIRH-FM Vancouver, British Columbia, from 1 March 2021 to 31 August 2021 - Broadcasting decision 2021-91
[2021-02-23 11:00:00]
APPROVED – Saugeen Community Radio Inc. – Mount Forest, Ontario – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the English-language community radio station CIWN-FM Mount Forest - Broadcasting decision 2021-90
[2021-02-23 11:00:00]
APPROVED – 9188-7208 Québec inc. – Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language commercial radio station CJVD-FM Vaudreuil-Dorion - Telecom order 2021-89
[2021-02-23 11:00:00]
TELUS Communications Inc. – Destandardization of Dedicated Loop Service and Analogue Private Line Services – Public record: Tariff Notice 555 - Broadcasting decision 2021-88
[2021-02-23 11:00:00]
APPROVED – Société Radio Taïga – Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language community radio station CIVR-FM Yellowknife - Broadcasting decision 2021-87
[2021-02-23 11:00:00]
APPROVED – 9238476 Canada Inc. – Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language commercial radio station CKOD-FM Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
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, March 4, 2021. This list is subject to change.
- [ANTI-SPAM/CRTC] 3510395 Canada Inc. v. Attorney General of Canada (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39396)
Senate of Canada
- Planned & Possible sitting days this week: The Senate is not sitting today. Adjournment period extended until Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 2pm.
Canadian House of Commons
- Planned & Possible sitting days this week: The House of Commons is not sitting today. The House is adjourned until Monday, March 8, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (EST).
CRTC
Open Proceedings
Anticipated releases for the week of March 1-5th, 2021
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:
Decision relating to the following application announced in Telecom Notice of Consultation 2019-309:
- Wireless Code – Application to device financing plans
Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0309
Regulatory Policies
Broadcasting
2021-3 – Revised list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution – Annual compilation of amendments
Public Hearings
- To consider the broadcasting application listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2021-36 – View hearing documents (2021-36) (March 30, 2021)
Open Public Consultations:
- Canadian Heritage: A Consultation on How to Implement an Extended General Term of Copyright Protection in Canada (March 21, 2021)
- Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: Commercial radio policy framework review (Nov 12, 2020 to March 29, 2021)
- Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy
Have a suggestion? Email Sara Bannerman at banners@mcmaster.ca
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