Newsletter: March 16, 2021

Weekly News (March 16, 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.

(March 9-15^th, 2021)

Canadian News

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Interdire la désinformation lors d’élections est inconstitutionnel (Le Devoir) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg summoned to testify before parliamentary committee (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Le patron de Facebook assigné à témoigner au comité sur le patrimoine (Le Journal de Montréal)
• [BROADCASTING LAW] CRTC will have nine months to force Netflix to start contributing to Canadian content (National Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [BROADCASTING POLICY] Le projet de loi C-10 sert à réglementer l’« irréglementable », dit Péladeau (La Presse)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CULTURAL FUNDING] Projet de loi sur les géants du Web: Ottawa se veut rassurant sur la propriété canadienne (Le Devoir)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Canada criticized for refusing to support COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver at WTO meeting (The Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Sex workers say their voice is needed at Commons committee studying Pornhub (Toronto Sun; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [COMPETITION/TELECOM/INTERNET POLICY] Rogers is buying Shaw. Will the deal be a disaster for consumers? (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Climat toxique dénoncé à Radio-Canada Québec (Le Soleil)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] Rapport sur les effets de la pandémie « Le secteur des arts vivants est en train de mourir » (La Presse)
• [FREEDOM OF SPEECH] Vancouver grapples with how to handle complaints over street preachers while heeding free speech (The Globe and Mail; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [HATE SPEECH] Part-time McMaster instructor under fire for comments about homosexuality (Hamilton Spectator)
• [LOCAL JOURNALISM] Tory pushes council to recognize need for strong local journalism (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/LABOUR] Uber Canada proposes changes to labour laws to provide workers with some benefits (The Canadian Press via Global News)
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] ‘Eyes wide open’ on Beijing visa office security: minister; Committee grilling (The Globe and Mail; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [SMART CITY] ‘This is an opportunity to reorient people to the water.’ Waterfront Toronto thinks ‘diversity’ is the key to an eye-popping design for Quayside (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)`
• [HATE SPEECH/ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS] Opinion: Bernie Farber and Len Rudner: Dangerous for anti-Semitic Canadian Nationalist Party to have access to voters list (National Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Doug Murphy: Paying for news content is only the start of reforms (Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY LAW] OPINION: Jim Balsillie: Liberal privacy bill fails to curtail surveillance economy or protect Canadians (The National Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/PROTEST] Opinion: Thomas Walkom: Challenge to ‘ag gag’ law in struggle over animal rights (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)

International News

• [TELECOM REGULATION] Five Chinese companies pose threat to U.S. national security: FCC (Reuters; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Australia hesitant to back plan to let poor countries make cheap copies of Covid vaccines (The Guardian; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Wave of Legal Appeals Challenges How European Regulators Enforce Privacy Rules (Washington Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Oman blocks Clubhouse, app used for free debates in Mideast (Associated Press via CTV News; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [FREEDOM OF SPEECH/PLATFORM REGULATION] Twitter sues Texas AG, claiming retaliation for Trump ban (Associated Press via NY Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Concerns rise over Sri Lanka’s move to ban burqas (Associated Press; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [INTERNET REGULATION] Democrats unveil $94 billion bill to improve Web access (The Washington Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Judge narrows Zoom lawsuit over user privacy(Reuters; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Why the Next Big-Tech Fights Are in State Capitals (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY PROTECTION/CENSUS DATA] Alabama sues to stop redistricting delay, privacy initiative (Associated Press News; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION] Facial recognition company sued by California activists (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook’s lawyers blast attorney fees bid in deal over 2018 data breach (Reuters; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [CYBERSECURITY] White House Weighs New Cybersecurity Approach After Failure to Detect Hacks (New York Times; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Police Breakup of Sarah Everard Vigil Heightens Scrutiny of U.K. Plan to Toughen Laws Against Protesters (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/CROSS BORDER TRANSFERS] Solving Data-Transfer Impasse May Require Diplomatic Agreements on Espionage (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/SAFETY/DATABASE] Uber, Lyft team up on database to expose abusive drivers (Associated Press via ABC News; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] T-Mobile to Step Up Ad Targeting of Cellphone Customers (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [COPYRIGHT] Non-fungible tokens are revolutionising the art world – and art theft (The Guardian; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Microsoft hack: Biden launches emergency taskforce to address cyber-attack (The Guardian)
• [MEDIA GOVERNANCE] Meghan and Harry spark anger, soul-searching in UK media (Associated Press via Wyoming News)
• [CENSORSHIP] Myanmar court extends detention of AP journalist (AP News; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] License-Plate Scans Aid Crime-Solving but Spur Little Privacy Debate (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Anjum Rahman: Livestreaming bill introduced after Christchurch attacks could criminalise innocent people (The Guardian)

(March 9-15^th, 2021)

Canadian Heritage

• A Week Focused on Indigenous-Led Efforts to Reclaim, Revitalize, Maintain and Strengthen Indigenous Languages: Highlights of New Projects Funded in Quebec

 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• CRTC provides greater protection for wireless consumers
• Canadians are invited to participate in Open Dialogue on AI

 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Response by the Government of Canada to petition concerning CRTC paper bills decision
• Order in Council responding to a petition to the Governor in Council concerning Telecom Decision CRTC 2020-80

 Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.
  • [SEARCH & SEIZURE/DIGITAL DEVICES] Sheldon Wells Canfield v. Her Majesty the Queen and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada – and between – Daniel Emerson Townsend v. Her Majesty the Queen and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Alta.) (Criminal) (By Leave) (39376) (Dismissed)
  • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Kathleen Helen Walker v. Law Society of British Columbia (B.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39452) (Dismissed)

 Federal Court of Appeal

• [PATENT] Apotex Inc. v. Shire LLC – 2021 FCA 54 – 2021-03-11
• [PATENT] Apotex Inc. v. Shire LLC – 2021 FCA 52 – 2021-03-11

Federal Court of Canada

• [COPYRIGHT] Sweet Productions Inc. v. Licensing IP International S.À.R.L. – 2021 FC 216 – 2021-03-10

Supreme Court of the United States

• [FREEDOM OF SPEECH; CAMPUS SPEECH] UZUEGBUNAM v. PRECZEWSKI  (March 8, 2021)

YouTube

• Three trends that are redefining video

Microsoft

• Technology and the Free Press: The Need for Healthy Journalism in a Healthy Democracy

Twitter

• Advancing our efforts to make Twitter a safer place for advertisers

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom notice of consultation 2021-102
  [2021-03-11 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Review of video relay service – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0102

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, March 18, 2021. This list is subject to change.
  • [COPYRIGHT] Les Éditions Québec Amérique inc. c. Druide Informatique inc. (Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (39391)
  • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Brenda Berge v. College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario, et al. (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave)(39449)
• Scheduled Hearings
  • [PUBLICATION BAN/COURTS] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation v. Her Majesty the Queen, et al. (Manitoba) (Civil) (By Leave) 38992 (March 17, 2021)
  • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/ELECTIONS] City of Toronto v. Attorney General of Ontario (Ontario) (Civil) (By Leave) 38921 (March 16, 2021)

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Monday, March 15, 2021 – Friday, March 19, 2021.

 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 22, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT).

 Upcoming Committee Meetings

• [CHPC] (March 22, 2021) Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Subject Matter of Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act

 CRTC

 Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of March 15-19^th, 2021

The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the coming week. This is subject to change without notice.

         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